


The Shadow

by Azela



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Anal, Anal Fingering, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Assassination Attempt(s), First Time Topping, Forced Prostitution, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Injury Recovery, Killing, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Murder, Oral Sex, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Restraints, Rimming, Steampunk, Topping from the Bottom, Trust Issues, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2018-11-22 10:54:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 61,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11378724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azela/pseuds/Azela
Summary: Beau is a trained killer whose mark was the future Arabendian king. He has killed many times and this was just another hit until he is shot by the Arabendian's own secret assasin. Beau is left for dead until the younger Arabendian prince finds him and brings him home to let him Heal. Jasper only wanted to give Beau a chance to heal and maybe a life that didn't involve killing, but their time together brings up feelings neither of them are ready to admit.Unfortunately, there are still people who would recognize Beau and when someone does, it spells disaster for Beau and Jasper's relationship, along with Beau's freedom.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a new genera for me and this is a really rough rough draft. I figured I'd post the first chapter and see how people liked it before I went on.

Bombs hit the ground, spraying dirt into the trenches and covering the men inside. They huddled together, waiting for the lull in the bombings so they could have their chance to attack. In the distance someone screamed, and then someone else and soon the field was fun of the cried of men. A young soldier dropped dead into the trench, startling the men inside. Another man collapsed onto the dirt next to him and a medic hurried forward to help him to his feet. 

“It was so fast,” the soldier stuttered.

“What was?” another soldier demanded.

The young soldier stuttered, pausing to take a deep breath before his wide eyes looked among the men surrounding him. “The Shadow.”

A blade came out of nowhere and embedded itself in the young man’s neck. The rest of the men in the trench turned wildly, looking for the place the blade had come from. A dark figure landed in front of the men, his hands moving like a blur. One by one the soldiers fell, either to a slash of their throat, or a blade in their eye. Once the ned had been disposed of, the Shadow slithered out of the trench and slipped between the soldiers firing bombs. He took them all out as he moved to a large tent sitting in a small valley. 

Silently the Shadow moved around it, listening to the men inside yelling at one another because their fighting tactics were insufficient to take out their enemy. They were so consumed with their argument that none of them noticed the slight sway of the tent flap, or the eerie presence of another shadow flickering in the lamp light. 

“I refuse to retreat!” A general snapped. “I will not let that man over run our army.”

“We are loosing already, and what about the Shadow? We know he’s here?” Another man demanded.

“Fuck him, I’d like to see him get past-” A shot rang out and the general fell dead across the table. The maps below colored with his blood as it ran from the wound in his head. 

The rest of the men drew their weapons, turning to the spot where the gun had been fired. The space was empty, the Shadow already taking out his next victim. After a third man dropped, the other two men began firing wildly inside the tent. Letting the light play tricks on the two men, the shadow moved to make it look like he was behind the taller of the two men. The other man fired before thinking, taking out his companion, while the Shadow flicked his wrist and took out the last man with ease. 

He stepped out of the tent and scaled one of the trees, leaping between the branches until he was in front of his own commander’s tent. Reaching for the tent flap, the Shadow made his presence   
known to the men inside. He didn’t speak to anyone as he moved towards his captan, standing quietly behind him while he finished speaking to the other men. 

“Word has already reached us that the general is dead,” the captain said once the other men had left. “Our armies are finishing off what’s left out in the field.” 

“Our army was already winning, you didn’t need me here,” the Shadow replied. 

“You know the government likes to show you off,” the captain shrugged. He paused in front of the Shadow and looked him over with a critical eyes. “You’re looking thin again, Beau.”

Beau glanced up at him with hollow blue eyes. “Didn’t earn my meal this week,” he replied flatly. 

The captain scowled at Beau’s answer. “You’ll come back to my house when we return to the city. I’ll make sure Beth feeds you something warm and filling.”

“He’ll expect me home,” Beau answered gruffly.

“I’ll send a messenger to let him know we had some things to discuss after we returned.” Beau nodded, laying his bloody knives on a small table to clean them. The captain let him be, giving orders to those who entered the tent with news. When the call for victory finally went up, Beau placed his knives back in their sheaths and slipped back out of the tent. 

In the makeshift stables, Beau grabbed the reins of an automaton horse and started home. He preferred to make it back before the rest of the army so he could have his freedom for just a little longer. 

He traveled over an hour to the city, dismounting and leaving the mechanical beast at the gate. Before the guard could catch him, Beau called up the side of a building and leapt across the rooftops, heading for the captain’s house. The upstairs guest bedroom window was left unlock for him and Beau slipped inside. He undressed, pulling off his knifes and carefully laying them out on the dresser. Once he was satisfied they were all accounted for, Beau slipped into the bathroom to shower. 

Once he was bathed and dressed, Beau ran a towel through his hair one last time before dropping it into the laundry basket. He made his way to the kitchen where Beth and her automaton servant were adding the last of the ingredients to a pot of stew. Beau made sure his footsteps could be heard when he entered the kitchen and he stepped up to the stove, kissing Beth’s cheek when she handed him a warm roll. 

“The stew is almost ready,” she told him. “Will Henry be home soon?”

“They were just breaking down camp when I left,” Beau told her as he buttered his roll. “Maybe an hour or two more.”

Beth nodded and continued to stir the stew, handing Beau another room when he’d finished the first one. He tore small bits of bread off the roll and ate it slowly while he watched Beth add apples to a pie. The first time he had eaten here he had acted like a starved animal, eating with his fingers and scooping mouthfuls of food into his mouth. It hadn’t taken long for Beth to teach him how to eat properly and all the other manners his father didn’t care to teach him. 

Beth brought over a bowl of stew once it was done and joined him at the table. They didn’t speak while they ate, Beth knew Beau didn’t want to talk about the battle or the home he had to go back to. 

Over an hour later the captain walked into the kitchen, greeting his wife with a kiss. He placed a bag of coins on the counter next to Beau and touched his shoulder gently. 

“The president is requesting your presence tomorrow,” Henry told him, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “He wishes to discuss your victory with you, He also has a meeting with the Arabendian king and his two sons and he would like you there as a threatening presence.” 

Beau snorted. All the president’s before this one made sure Beau’s identity was hidden, especially when he was younger. This one felt compelled to show Beau off like a prized horse to anyone who stepped into his home. 

Finishing his stew even though his stomach turned at the new information, Beau pocketed his coins, kissed Beth on the cheek and slipped out of the house. He stealthily slipped between two alleyways, taking twenty coins out of his earnings and softly knocking on a beat up wooden door. A young girl opened the door, pushing her matted black hair away from her face. She smiled when she saw Beau and opened the door wider. 

“Mommy’s in the bedroom,” she whispered, hurting over to her younger brother.

Beau nodded and moved to the back room where three beds were set up. In the largest bed a frail woman laid, taking wheezing breaths. Her clouded grey eyes opened when Beau stepped into the room and she gave him a pained smile. 

“I heard we won,” sh whispered in a strained voice. 

“How are you feeling?” Beau asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking her hand. 

“The doctor said I was getting better, but he doesn’t think I’m out of danger yet.”

Beau nodded, looking sadly into her sightless eyes. Though it had been over two years, Beau still felt a pang of grief every time he came to his house. He was the reason this woman’s husband was dead and he was the reason his wife had fallen ill working down in the mines to pay for her family.

Beau reached into his pocket and pulled out the twenty coins. He set them on the dresser, making sure she could hear every one of them.

“You know I don’t blame you,” she said softly, her head turned towards the coins, “and you don’t have to bring us money.”

“I know it’s not a lot, but it will keep your daughter from having to work,” Beau told her. He knew what happened to girls her age when they had to work to support their family. He couldn’t let this woman’s child live through the same thing he did. “I’ll bring you more the next time I get paid.”

“You’re a good ma, Beau, despite the rumors the government says about you.”

“Those rumors are all true,” Beau replied. “I’m a killer and that’s all I’ll ever be.”

“If you were a killer, you wouldn’t bring me money every few weeks and you wouldn’t care that my daughter would have to whore herself out on the streets to take care of me and her brother. You would have let me die without even know who I was. You’re not a killer, you’re a man doing what you have to to survive.”

Beau didn’t say anything, he just squeezed the woman’s hand and left the room. He stopped in the kitchen where the daughter was trying to feed her younger brother. 

“Mommy says your money will pay to fix the pipes. We’ll have running water for showers,” she said with a smile. 

Beau returned the smile and knelt beside her chair. “You remember how to get word to me if something happens to your mother?” 

She nodded and pat Beau’s hand. “Got to the captain’s home and tell him I need to speak to you,” she replied. 

Beau nodded and stood. “I’ll see you again.” 

He slipped out of the house and paused at the end of the alleyway to count the rest of his coins. He was forty coins short if what he had made last time. Beau sighed and tucked the money away. He would deal with his father when he got home. 

The door to his home was unlocked and a haze of sweet smelling smoke brewed Beau when he stepped inside. 

“Did those bastards pay you?” A large man sitting at a scarred table asked. He had a rolled joint in his hand and he took a drag as his red rimmed eyes watched Beau. 

Beau extracted the bag of coins and set them on the table. His father’s hands snapped out, encircling Beau’s wrists with iron cuffs. Beau stood with a blank face as his father dumped the coins on the table and began counting them. When he last coin was counted, his father slipped them back into the bag and stood. Beau tried not to flinch away, but he knew what was coming and couldn’t stop himself. 

A hand struck him across the face and he stumbled back into the wall. A leather collar was fastened around his neck and Beau’s father slapped him again. 

“You taking my money?” he sneered, ripping Beau’s clothes as he searched his pockets. He ripped the sheathed knives out of their hiding places and threw them on the table. Using one to slice off the rest of Beau’s clothes, his father searched his body for the coins he would never find. “Those fuckers are keeping my money from me,” he hissed, shoving Beau towards his bedroom. “There’s one in there for you, make sure to charge him extra for the money you lost me.”

Beau stood in front of the door for a moment, breathing slowly. He tugged on the chains attached to his cuffs and collar and opened the door. The man on the other side quickly overtook him and Beau didn’t put up a fight when he shoved Beau against the wall and kicked his legs open. Setting his hands on the wall, Beau closed his eye and steeled himself for what was next. 

~~~  
“The Arabendian king is coming to talk peace with me,” President Jeffers told Beau haughtily. “He thinks he can keep war from his boarders if he talks some sense into me.” The President snorted and slapped Beau’s bare ass. He leaned back against the headboard on his bed, taking another drag of his cigarette. “I want you to keep an eye on the oldest son. He’s in command of the Arabendian military and the future king. He’s also your target when I roll my cannons onto their boarders and kill their little farming towns.”

“What about the younger prince?” Beau asked. He was tied face down on the President’s bed, trying hard not to vomit after what the president had forced him to do. 

“He’s not important,” the President snapped as if the question annoyed him. “They teach their second sons to be medics. He won’t ever see battle and the only thing he’ll do for the rest of his life is that the wounded I shoot.”

“If I take out the oldest, he’ll be next for the throne,” Beau pointed out, trying not to tense when the President put out his finished cigarette on his back. 

“Then he’ll be easy to destroy,” the President laughed darkly. “We kill his brother and father and now he’s stuck running a country, He’ll probably shit himself when he storm his home.” He rolled off the bed now that he was finished with his post fuck routine and moved to the bathroom.

Beau tugged at his restraints, hating the he would have to wait until the other man was done to clean his dirty body. He pressed his face into the mattress, trying not to breath in the sex scented air while he waited. He hopes whichever guard came to retrieve him wouldn’t want his fair share. Then he had to face the President wife, who painfully made sure Beau knew how much she disliked Beau ‘sleeping’ with he husband. It wasn’t like Beau really had a choice. 

Once the President was washed and dressed he spent a few more seconds groping Beau before handing the keys to his cuffs off to the guard outside. Thankfully the guard had no interest in Beau as he unlocked him and hauled him into the washroom. He took his time washing away last night’s events and dressed in the fine cloth he was expected to wear when he was being shown off during an event. 

He followed the guard into the President’s large ballroom, where his wife took one look at Beau and pointed to the far wall where chains laid on the floor. Beau’s hands and feet were cuffed, immobilizing him completely so the guests could be assured that the vicious Padolean killer wouldn’t break free and attack. He would be forced to stand like this all night, a captured wild animal for his countrymen and guests to stare at. Some people would try to goad him into reacting, other’s would touch him cautiously, and a few would try to feed him things gods knew where they came from and what they were. 

Unlike the rumors said, Beau didn’t eat trash or human babies, and he didn’t hunt down wild animals to ear raw. He wouldn’t let those people push him into reacting, he couldn’t stand the public punishment that came with it. Thankfully the servants would come by with bits of food and water for him throughout the night.

“You clean up quite weak,” President Jeffers said, sliding his fingers over Beau’s jacket. “Make sure you keep and eye on the eldest prince, I want you to know everything about him by the time the night’s over.”

“Yes, sir,” Beau replied gruffly.

“Good boy,” the President hissed.  
~~~

“President Jeffers has arranged a party in honor of our arrival. I have a feeling it’s some sort of trap,” the Arabendian king told his sons as they moved through the Padolean City. “They say he brings his Shadow to these things.” 

“He’s dumber then I thought if he sends his pet killer after us during a party.” Frederic, the king’s oldest son, growled. 

“I think he’s merely there for reconnaissance,” the king replied. “Jasper, I want you to keep a close eye on the shadow, see if you can gain any information about him from the Padoleans.” 

“Yes, father,” Jasper replied, looking out over the city. 

They bounced over the cobblestone road as their coal powered carriage chugged along. They had been traveling for two days, wondering if the Padolean President would attack them, but he never did. It had put Jasper’s brother on edge and his father seemed tense also. Jasper was the only one that was still calm, mostly because he wasn’t the target for this meeting. He had gotten a last minute invitation right before they left. Asides from keeping an eye on the Shadow, Jasper would spend his time fending off young women who keened over him. 

They finally made it to the President’s grand home, proving to Jasper that he cared more about himself then he did his people. Congressmen and their wives greeted them warmly, shaking hands with the king and Fredric and merely giving Jasper a quick glance. Jasper scowled at their poor greeting and searched around for the Shadow. Jasper knew from stories and rumors that the man could easily hide away in small nooks, which meant Jasper would have to search thoroughly. 

They were led into the President’s home, through a massive foyer and into a luxurious ballroom. President Jeffers welcomed them warmly, but there was a glint of something in his eyes that Jasper didn’t like. As usual, Jasper was ignored after the introductions, so he slipped away to move about the room. He didn’t get far before a flock of women surrounded him, chittering away about anything they hoped he was interested in. He gently turned each of them down, suppressing a shiver of disgust when they would brush their breasts against him. Most of the women left him alone once he turned them down, but there were a few that were persistent and he had to dodge through large groups of people to loose them. 

He ended up on the far side of the room by a large tapestry depicting one of the many Padolean wars. A man standing chained to the floor caught his attention and he did a double take. He had never seen the Shadow before, but he had heard enough stories and descriptions to recognize him. 

But this was all wrong. The Shadow in the stories was a tall, strong man who could take out several men in a blink of an eye. This Shadow was thin and pale. His face was sunken and bruised and the circles around his eyes told Jasper he hadn’t slept well in a while. According to the storied the Shadow shouldn’t look like a chained dog, he should be treated like a great Padolean soldier. 

Taking a deep breath Jasper approached the man. The Shadow stood stoically, but Jasper could see the slight tremble in the man’s hand.Blue eyes turned to him when Jasper got closer and Jasper paused at the intensity of it. They were about the same height so neither one had to look down at the other. 

“So,” Jasper started, “you are the Shadow.”

“And you are one of the Arabendian princes,” the man grunted, his voice gravelly. 

“I am,” Jasper nodded.

The Shadow looked him over and then back out at the crowd. “Obviously you’re the youngest.”

Jasper nodded even though the Shadow wasn’t paying attention to him. He looked over the chains that held his arms at his sides and the cuffs around his ankles that left him little room to move. Then Jasper glanced at the collar around the man’s neck. He could see it was too tight and he desperately wanted to loosen it. 

“Why are you chained here?” he asked, stepping forward.

The Shadow turned his gaze back on Jasper and he stopped again. “Don’t you know?” the man growled. “I’m a killer. I can’t be controlled, therefore I have to be restrained.”

Jasper frowned and opened is most to reply when a servant girl stepped into his field of vision. She was carrying a tray with a glass of iced water in it and Jasper caught the look the Shadow gave her. The woman went to turn, but Jasper called to her.

“May I have that glass of water?” he asked, holding out his hand.

The servant girl glanced from him to the Shadow and back again. She moved forward, lifting the glass off the tray and handing it to Jasper. Jasper reached past her and gently gripped her wrist, stepping up to her. 

“Do you have food for him too?” Jasper whispered in her ear.

“I can bring something for him,” she replied, her eyes wide.

“Please do,” Jasper smiled, taking the glass from her. 

She gave a quick nod and rushed off. Jasper turned back to the Shadow and offered him the glass. The man looked down at it distastefully. 

“If your plan is to poison me I can assure you that none of you will leave here tonight,” he growled. 

“I’m not poisoning you,” Jasper huffed, setting the cup on a small glass table. Cautiously, he lifted his hands and fumbled with the buckle on the collar. Once he got it open, he loosened it a few holes and made sure it was loose enough for him to swallow. “I’m a physician, my only job is to heal.”

The Shadow looked at him with a blank face as Jasper lifted the glass to his lips. Apparently no one had ever done this for him before. After a moments hesitation, the Shadow parted his lips and gulped down the water. He finished the glass in a few swallows and slowly licked his lips. 

“How long have you been standing here without water?”Jasper asked.

“Why does it matter to you,” the Shadow snapped, his eyes moving over the crowd. “Your father is watching you, I’m sure he’s going to come over here and scold you for feeding me.”  
Jasper glanced over at his father. Their eyes met and he gave his father a reassuring nod. His father returned the gesture and turned to a man who had just approached him.

“I don’t think he’s worried.”

“Then he’s a fool,” the Shadow gritted out.

Jasper ignored him, turning to the servant who had returned. He thanked her for the food and asked her to bring another glass of water. A hint of curiosity crossed the Shadow’s blue eyes when Jasper held up a piece of food and he ate it slowly. Jasper brought another morsel to his lips and the Shadow’s eyes trailed over his face as he took another bite. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Frederic hissed as he stormed up to Jasper. He jerked the plate out of Jasper's hand and grabbed him by the upper arm, dragging him away from the Shadow. “Do   
you have any idea who that is?”

“Of course I do,” Jasper grunted, trying to jerk away from his brother’s tight grasp. “He’s been chained there for hours with no food or water.”

“And it’s not your job to feed the enemies dog,” Frederic hissed, dragging Jasper back into the crowd of people. 

Jasper through an apologetic look over his shoulder, but the Shadow wasn’t looking at him, he was looking at his brother.


	2. Chapter 2

A loud banging woke Beau early in the morning and he sat up quickly.

“What is that?” the man next to him grunted, covering his ears.

“It’s nothing,” Beau replied, pulling on his pants. “Go back to sleep.”

Beau opened the second door to his room, the one that led to the outside and only opened from the inside. Henry stood on the other side, looking solemn.

“I’m sorry to wake you, Beau, but the President wants us up and moving in an hour.”

“It’s fine,”Beau yawned, it wasn’t like the Captain hadn’t woken him up even earlier then this before. 

Holding out his hands, the Captain used his key to unlock Beau’s restraints. Once the shackles were off, Beau moved to dress and Henry peaked towards Beau’s bed. His face darkened when he saw the other body laying there and he stormed over, ripping the sheets off the man. 

“Get up, soldier,” Henry growled, yanking the man out of bed and dropping him onto the floor.

“Yes, sir,” the man stuttered, scrambling to his feet. He stood at attention, though he looked ridiculous doing it naked. 

“How dare you place yourself in this bed,” Henry hissed. “You should be ashamed of yourself for what you’re forced this boy to do. Now get out of here and meet up with you squad.”  
“Yes, sir,” the man replied more frantically. He scooped up his clothes and hurried out the door.

“I did talk to your father about that,” Henry sighed.

“Several times, I know,” Beau replied, pulling on a shirt. “He’s not going to stop because you tell him to and you and I both know no one of importance is going to believe you.”

“I know,” Henry grunted. “I just wish there was more I could do.”

Beau shrugged, strapping the last of his knives into place. Pulling on his cloak, Beau moved to strip the bed and Henry helped him remake it. Beau gave one last look around the room to make sure it was clean and followed his Captain out of the house. There was little to no commotion on the streets, which meant the men weren’t yet falling into line to march out. It also meant that Henry had woken Beau early to make sure he had a good meal in him before they left. 

As usual when Henry got the call, Beth was cooking away wildly, preparing for their departure. She set two bowls of porridge down on the table and began packing away food for Henry and Beau to take with them. 

“Now you be careful,” Beth told Beau as she packed Beau’s bag full of sweets and breads. “And stay safe, when you come home I’ll have a nice meal for you.”

“Thank you,” Beau replied, taking his bag.

Beth smiled up at him and pulled him into a hug. She kissed his cheek and ran her fingers through his hair. “You are a good boy, Beau.”

~~~  
Beau moved between the branches of dense trees, following the rows of Arabendian tents. The battle had been waging for over a month now and neither side was proving more victorious then the other. The Padoleans may have better weapons that they had stolen from other countries, but Arabenda had money and prospered in metals. Their technology was just as strong. 

So the Captain sent Beau out to do a little reconnaissance and try to discover some sort of kink in the Arabendian chain. Getting information wasn’t something Beau normally did, but he was getting restless and the Captain had seen it as something for Beau to do. 

Beau dropped down at the edge of the field, behind the largest of tents. It had the prince’s banners staked around it and there were guards walking the perimeter. Beau waited for one to pass and slithered forward, crawling under a flap and pressing himself behind a stack of crates. 

“They’ve been quiet,” someone grunted. 

“They aren’t prepared for us,” the prince hissed. “Unlike the other countries they’ve conquered, we have resources and allies to help us. We’re at a stand still and there is no way the could beat us.”

“They do have one way,” another man hissed. 

“Yes, where is their prized Shadow? No one has seen him yet,” the first man asked.

“He’s here,” the prince told him. “No one has seen him because they die if they do, but he’s here. They’re just biding their time before they call him out, but I’ll be ready.”

Beau rolled his eyes as he listened to their strategy for tomorrow’s battle. They didn’t have anything special planned. Just strategizing to take out the most of the enemies men. He left when he got tired of listening to them talk in circles and headed back to his camp. 

The Captain was waiting for him when he returned, a letter in his hand with the President’s seal. “This arrived an hour after you left.”

“Is he finally getting tired of his game?” Beau asked as he took the letter. He already knew what it said, but he opened it and read it anyway. “Guess this’ll be over by tomorrow night.”

“W both knew he would get tired of this soon,” Henry shrugged. 

“Then maybe he should have done some research before he took a strong country to war.” Beau entered his tent and sat on his bed. 

“A power hungry man like that will only learn his lesson when he’s dead,” Henry told him. “Did you get any good intel?”

“A little,” Beau nodded, pulling off his cloak and lounging on his bed. 

~~~  
Beau chewed on a tough piece of jerky while he dressed the next morning. The Captain had made sure he’d had a bowl of stew before he left, but Beau always felt calmer when he was chewing something tough before he left for a mission. He left his tent and found his Captain waiting for him at the edge of the trees.

“Make it quick and come back. I don’t want you lingering on their side any longer then you have to,” Henry told him. Beau nodded and Henry pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m proud of you,” he whispered. “You keep yourself safe and don’t do anything stupid.”

“I’ll be fine,” Beau assured him.

The Captain clapped him on the shoulder and moved away to ready the troops. Beau slipped into the woods and scaled a thick tree, heading out towards the battle field to watch and wait for the battle to begin. He had learned at an early age that trying to take out his mark before the fighting began meant there would be more people around to have to kill.

He watched the sun rise over the Arabendian army as they marched onto the field. The Padolean call went up immediately and the first boom of cannons rang through the air. Beau moved towards the Arabendian camp, watching the men scramble to get away from the oncoming fire. They retaliated with their own cannons and soon the sound of firing weapons was deafening. 

Beau found the prince standing in front of a table outside his tent with two men standing next to him. There were four guards moving around the area, searching in the wrong places for Beau to appear from. Every twenty minutes a runner would arrive, informing the men about the progress of the fight. The prince would give him instructions to return with and the boy would run off again. 

Beau waited until one runner came hurrying up the small hill, calling that the Padolean army was starting to push back. Now would be the best time to strike. Beau pulled out his knives, watching the prince talk their strategy over with the men besides him while the runner waited. He crawled towards the edge of the branch, a flash on the ground catching his eye and he paused. He searched the area around the tree and spotted nothing. Assuming it was an animal, Beau got himself into position. He let two knives fly, taking out the men standing besides the prince before leaping from the tree. He pulled another knife to embedded in the prince’s skull when a shot rang out. 

Pain bloomed over his ribs and Beau was thrown off course. He hit the ground hard, causing the pain to worsen. He tried to roll into a crouch, but a sword ran through his shoulder, pinning him to the ground. A heavy boot collided with his face and Beau tasted blood in his mouth.

“Nice shot,” the prince commented to a tall black man.

“Thank you, my lord,” the man replied in a heavily accented voice. 

Beau tried to move, but the prince knelt down next to him and drove his fingers into Beau’s bullet wound. “My marksman has been waiting for a chance to take you out ever since you killed his king. He was happy to have the opportunity when your President declared war on us. Now you’ve lost and we’ll be the ones to rule your pathetic country.”

Beau didn’t make a sound, he merely started up at the prince defiantly. He tried to reach for his knives, but another kick to the face had his vision swimming. More blows landed on his chest, arms, and legs and once they were done, Beau was a bloody mess. The last thing he heard before loosing consciousness was the call that the Padolean Shadow was dead.

~~~  
Jasper looked out over the field as he jogged to the next body. He only needed to glance at her to know she was dead. That had been most of the men and women he had found so far and he left a painted stone on her forehead to indicate that she had already been checked and that the cart needed to pick her up. 

He continued on, marking the dead and helping those who were still alive. Automatons moved around the field, helping carry off the wounded towards the medical tents. Jasper would join them soon, removing shrapnel and limbs from those who needed surgery. 

Jasper nodded to another medic as they passed and he veered off in another direction. He climbed the small hill where his brother had been, frowning when he spotted a body on the ground. His frown deepened when he recognized the Padolean Shadow. The Padoleans had already collected their dead and wounded, so why was he still here?

Kneeling down next to him, Jasper looked over the sword sticking out of his shoulder. It was his brothers and apparently not an important one if he had left it behind. Out of curiosity, Jasper set a hand on the Shadow’s forehead. He was cold, but he didn’t feel like the dead did. Pulling off his stethoscope, Jasper put the buds in his ears and listened to the man’s chest. His heartbeat was faint, but it was still there. 

“Kind of a shame isn’t it?” Jasper’s knight and friend, Keegan, said. “Word came from the president to leave him for the wolves. Apparently a dead Shadow is useless to him and worthless to bury too.”

“He’s not dead,” Jasper told him, setting down his medical kit and digging through it.

“Well he won’t be alive for much longer.”

Jasper shook his head and pulled a blade cutter out of his bag. Holding the hilt, Jasper cut the sword as close to the Shadow’s shoulder as he could. “Help me life him,” Jasper commanded. 

“What?” Keegan asked.

“He’s still alive and I’m not leaving him here,” Jasper replied, sliding a hand under the Shadow’s shoulder.

“He’s the enemies best killer, you should be celebrating that he’s dead.”

“Keegan, please,” Jasper snapped. “Call two of the automaton medics and have one of them clear out an operating room.”

“Are you kidding me?” Keegan demanded.

“Listen, either you help me or go annoy someone else,” Jasper hissed, brushing some of the dirt off the blade. 

Kegan grunted but he knelt down and held the Shadow up so Japer could cut the dirty blade. Once he was finished, Jasper laid the Shadow back down and Keegan went off to find two automaton medics. 

“Stay with me,” Jasper whispered, running a hand through the Shadow’s hair. “I’ll take care of you, but you have to stay with me.”

It took a few hours, but Jasper managed to remove the rest of the sword and the bullet in the Shadow’s side. He checked over the rest of the man’s body. He had bruises everywhere, but none of the bones were broken. His shoulder was the worst, and even that would heal with time and therapy. 

Keegan helped Jasper load the Shadow into one of Jasper’s travel carriages and they finished collecting the wounded and the dead before setting off for home. Four days later, Jasper arrived home and he bullied Keegan into helping him take the Shadow to his room. They set the man on Jasper’s bed and Jasper went in search of his automaton servant to help him make the slave bed in his room. 

“I still can’t believe you made me do this,” Keegan hissed when Jasper returned to his room. “Do you have any idea how dangerous and stupid it is to have this man in your room?”

“He’s got a bunch of meds helping him sleep,” Jasper argued.

“And what about when he wakes up? What will you do when he tries to kill you?”

Jasper grunted and rolled his eyes. He turned to his bed where the Shadow laid and pressed a hand to his forehead. The surgery had been risky considering how emaciated the Shadow had been, but if Jasper hadn’t removed the shrapnel he wouldn’t have survived anyway. Jasper had no idea how the Shadow could be the legendary killer he was know to be in this condition. Anyone else who was that thin would hardly be able to function. The Shadow was low on everything and Jasper would have to sneak more bags of vitamins to pump into the man to get his levels normal again. Once he did wake, Jasper would have to make sure he got enough to eat daily to bring him up to a healthy weight. 

Then there were the scars and signs of rape that told Jasper that this man wasn’t looked highly upon in his own country. It made him wonder if they kept him like they kept fighting dogs; starved and beaten with promises of food if they won. That thought had turned Jasper’s stomach. Jasper was pretty sure it would take some time for the Shadow to trust him, but once he did, Jasper would promise him that he would never have to kill for his food again.


	3. Chapter 3

As Beau came back to consciousness he felt warm and comfortable, something he’d only felt when he was younger and spent the night at his Captain’s house. That bed had been filled with fine feathers; but this bed, however, felt like it was made from clouds that cradled his body.

A ghost of a smile crossed Beau’s face. He had heard the stories of his gods welcoming his people into heaven, where any luxury you could ever want waited for you. Sleep was definitely a luxury Beau wanted and now he could have it in death. Stretching his legs, Beau breathed in the sweet air around him. He lifted a hand to rub his face, smelling his palm. 

He smelled like exotic fruits, which made his smile grow. He was free of pain and free from the men who used him.

He tied to roll over, but a twinge of pain from his shoulder and his side brought his joy crashing down around him. His eyes snapped open and he looked down to find his arm in a sling. A bandage covered his shoulder and when he threw off the blankets, another bandage covered his side. 

Wincing, Beau pushed himself up and looked around. He was naked under the sheets, but someone had cleaned his body and there was an IV feeding him nutrients and various other things in clear bags. The room around him was larger than his father’s house, filled with luxurious items he had never seen before. A second, larger bed sat a few feet away from his, pristinely made like the rest of the room. Doors that led out to a large garden were open and the flower scented air flowed through them. Though the room looked welcoming, a sense of dread came over Beau. If he wasn’t dead and he wasn’t at home, he was probably in danger.

Throwing off his covers, Beau eased himself out of the bed and onto his weak legs. His body was covered in purple bruises, left over from the Arabendian prince’s beating. He took a step forward, feeling the pull of stitches on his side that warned him to take it slow. If he had to fight his way out of here he would never make it. Jerking the needle out of his hand, Beau moved towards the door, pausing for a moment to listen for movement on the other side. There was no sound he could hear, which gave Beau hope of escaping. If he could slip out through the garden then he would be able to get away before anyone knew he was gone. 

Searching for clothes, Beau spotted a dresser on the other side of the room. He stepped towards it when voices echoed on the other side of the door. Turning back, Beau pressed himself against the wall so no one could see him till the door closed. The thick wooden door muffled whatever they were saying, but all Beau needed to know was that there were two people on the other side of the door. After a minute of conversations one of the voices moved away and the knob on the door turned. Beau braced himself for whoever came through the door and sprang on him when he stepped into the room. The force slammed the door shut and Beau pinned the man against the wall, using his wounded arm to hold him there.   
He felt the rough pull of the stitches and the well of blood under his bandages, but ignored them as he stared into the hazel eyes of the youngest Arabendian prince. 

“You,” he hissed. 

“Well I wasn’t expecting you to be up,” the prince said calmly. “Actually, with your injuries I didn’t think you could get up.”

“Well I did,” Beau growled, pressing harder against the prince. He mostly did it to hold himself up since the pain in his side was making his legs weak. 

“You did and now you’re bleeding and you’ve probably torn your stitches,” the prince replied in that same calm tone. 

He set a hand on Beau’s hip and Beau jerked away, nearly loosing his balance. The prince was there to catch him, wrapping his arms around Beau’s waist and steadying Beau against his body. 

“Why don’t we get you back in bed,” the prince said, using a soothing tone one would use to calm a child.

“I don’t need to get back in bed,” Beau replied, struggling to get away. Unfortunately his body was exhausted and he couldn’t get his legs to listen to him anymore. “Whatever you plan on doing to me it won’t work.”

“The only thing I want to do to you is make sure you heal properly and put some weight on you.” The prince pushed Beau onto the bed and turned away, grabbing something on the floor.

“Because you want me healthy when you torture me?” Beau hissed as the prince peeled off the bandage on his side. 

“I’m not going to torture you.”

“I tried to kill your bother,” Beau needled. 

“Yes, and you got shot because of it,” the prince replied, meeting Beau’s eyes. “Good job there.”

Beau scowled, wincing when the bandage caught on his skin. The prince tisked at the wound and reached into his bag, extracting a syringe. Beau tried to stop him when the man got closer, but the prince easily batted his hand away. The prince moved steadily, numbing the wound and stitching it up again. He checked the wound on Beau’s shoulder and smiled when he found the stitches were still intact. 

“Next time you want to do something stupid,” the prince chided, picking up the hand Beau had ripped the IV out of, “try not to rip your stitches.” 

“Why do you care, and why are you helping me?” Beau demanded. 

“Because you were injured and your own people didn’t want you,” the prince replied bitterly. 

Beau frowned and looked away. He had been conscious when the Padolean soldiers found him and he had heard the news from his father and his President that neither of them wanted Beau’s body. A dead Shadow was a useless one according to both of them. The only man Beau had hoped would come to retrieve him never did, which meant the Captain had probably been killed. 

“What happened?” Beau whispered. 

“You mean the battle?” Jasper asked, bandaging Beau’s hand. His touch was gentle, probably the way a doctor’s touch should feel. Not like the Padolean doctors who were rough and worked quickly in fear that Beau would bite their fingers off is they took too long. “After the call went up that you were killed your people seemed to have lost their minds. The battle became a slaughter and both sides lost a lot of men and women. We some how managed to convince your President to allow a temporary peace while we regrouped. If you ask me, it’s all ridiculous.”

Beau agreed, but he didn’t say anything. The prince slid his hand up the inside of Beau’s arms, palpating the crook of his elbow. 

“I’m going to put the IV in again, don’t rip it out this time.”

Beau nodded, holding his arm out. His body hurt and he was exhausted from the little effort he had used to get out of bed and pin the prince. A small bite on his arm drew his mind back to the needle the prince was now sliding into his vein. He taped it down and attached the IV line to it. Once he got the liquid moving, the Prince sat back and looked Beau over. Beau returned the stare, noting the man’s soft features and gentle eyes. He looked like someone who had seen both sides of the world and it exhausted him. The dark circles under his eyes didn’t make him look any better. Beau wondered if the man had been up all night.

“So Shadow,” the prince started, “what do they really call you?”

“Many people call me many things, which one would you like to know?”

“Your name.”

“And what do you get from learning my name?” Beau hissed, looking the Prince over wearily. 

“I’ll know what to call you.” The prince shrugged. “You already know who I am, so it’s only fitting that I know who you are.”

“The only thing I know about you is that you’re a prince.”

“Really?” the prince raised and eyebrow. “Considering my brother was the one you were tasked to kill I would have thought you would know everything about us.”

“I don’t know his name either,” Beau grumbled.

“It’s Frederic and mine is Jasper.” 

The prince met Beau’s eyes waiting for him to say something, but Beau kept his mouth shut. Jasper sighed and stood, returning his bag to it’s place on the floor. 

“I guess I’ll just have to keep calling you Shadow then.” 

Beau grunted, watching Jasper toe off his shoes. He looked the man over while his back was towards Beau and he immediately recognized the exhausted droop of the prince’s shoulders. It became more obvious when Jasper dropped onto his bed and buried his head under a pillow. Beau might have been able to get some rest after this war, but Jasper was a physician, which meant he probably spent most of his time looking after his patients. 

Beau felt a slight hint of guilt well inside him. He had seen enough battle fields to know that the aftermath was filled with wagons filled with dead and families crying over their lost ones. Jasper might not have lost someone, but he had suffered from the war as much as anyone else. He looked down at his hands, still surprised to see that they weren’t shackled. Maybe the prince thought Beau wasn’t that much of a threat. He was wrong, but then again, Beau couldn’t find a reason at that moment to hurt the prince. 

“What are you thinking about?” Jasper asked, drawing Beau’s attention back to him. He had slid out from under his pillow and was watching Beau with his head pillowed on his arm.

“I was thinking about how you might be the stupidest prince I’ve ever met,” Beau huffed. 

“Maybe, but I’m sill not the one who got shot,” Jasper shot back as he rolled off the bed. He stretched his arms over his head and rubbed his stomach. “I’m hungry and I’m sure you are too. I’m going to run down to the kitchen and get us something to eat.”

The prince left before Beau could reply and he rolled his eyes. The prince was one of those insufferable cheery types and Beau was going to have to deal with him until he was healed enough to escape.   
~~~

Jasper carried a try of food up the stairs that led to the kitchen. It had taken a little lying, but he had managed to convince the cook to give him two hearty servings of food. The cook had scolded Jasper for feeding his bed companions like he did, which made Jasper laugh. The Shadow would probably never allow Jasper to take him to bed. He was a handsome man and if the situation was different Jasper would probably have enjoyed trying to court him, but caring for the enemy’s best killer and taking him to bed were two different things all together. 

He balanced the tray of food on one hand when he reached his door and pushed it open. Relief filled him when he saw the Shadow still in bed. Thank the saints the man didn’t try to get up again. Blue eyes watch him as Jasper shut his door and brought the food over to his desk. He set the tray down and turned back to the Shadow. 

“I kind of expected you to be asleep,” Jasper commented, smiling slightly when the other man growled. 

“Can’t have to poisoning me while I sleep,” the Shadow replied, his voice gravelly. 

Jasper snorted and turned back to the food. He picked up a plate of bread and a bowl of stew and brought it over to the Shadow. “Oh come now, don’t call the chef’s cooking poison. It may look funny sometimes, but I can promise you it’s delicious.”

The Shadow’s scowl deepened, apparently he didn’t like to be teased, which was all the more reason for Jasper to keep doing it. Jasper sat on the edge of the Shadow’s bed and placed the plate of bread in the Shadow’s lap. The Shadow looked at the bowl sourly, as if it offended him somehow. 

Reaching out, Jasper cupped the Shadow’s face in his hand. The man jerked his head away, but held still the second time Jasper reached for him. Jasper tilted the man’s head up, cradling his face in his hand. “I promise I’m not trying to poison you, or hurt you. I just want to help you heal, that’s all.”

The Shadow pursed his lips, his eyes searching Jasper’s face for a sign that he was lying. After several minutes he must have decided Jasper was telling the truth because he jerked a nod and reached for the bowl. 

“How about I hold it since you’ve only got one good hand right now,” Jasper suggested. 

Huffing and grumbling the Shadow picked up his spoon and dipped it into the stew. He leaned forward to sniff it and took a tentative bite. The look of pure pleasure that crossed his face made Jasper’s heart jump. The look was almost foreign on the Shadow’s face, but just the slight change made him look much younger. Jasper wondered when the last time the Shadow was able to enjoy things like food. 

Once he decided the food wasn’t poisoned, the Shadow ate hungrily, finishing the stew and bread quickly. Jasper couldn’t hide his smirk as he watched the Shadow clean the bowl with a piece of bread. 

“Would you like some more?” he asked. 

The Shadow paused with the piece of bread inches from his mouth. His eyes darted to the other bowl and then back at Jasper. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I can always run down and get more,” Jasper shrugged. 

“But you’re exhausted.”

The comment confused Jasper and he tilted his head. “I am, but that doesn’t mean I should stop being a doctor so I can get a few hours sleep.”

The Shadow shook his head. “Eat and don’t worry about me. I can have more when you wake up.”

“This isn’t some sort of ploy to kill me is it?” Jasper asked suspiciously.

“No,” the Shadow shook his head. “You look exhausted and like you said, I will probably fall asleep again too. Please, rest.”

“Alright, thank you,” Jasper said sincerely. 

A slight smile tugged at the corners of the Shadow’s lips, but it was quickly replaced with his scowl. Tilting his head again, Jasper noticed the strained look in the Shadow’s eyes. There was no doubt this man had had a hard life and there were very little, if any, people who would care for him. When Jasper didn’t move the Shadow looked up at him and when there eyes met, Jasper felt like he was looking into the eyes of a man who had lived for many, many years. His father would call him an old soul, someone who had seen many trials in life and were still struggling through them. 

Jasper gave the Shadow one last smile and stood, helping the man lay down. He quickly ate his own stew and stripped off his clothes, collapsing onto his bed. He rolled onto his stomach and opened his eyes to find the Shadow watching him. 

“I just wanted to say… thank you,” the Shadow told him, though it seemed a bit reluctant. 

“You’re welcome,” Jasper replied, closing his eyes and letting himself drift off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

“What do you mean he’s awake?”Keegan practically yelled in the middle of the hallway.

“Keegan, please,” Jasper hissed, grabbing his friend’s arm and dragging him down the hall. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Keegan demanded. “Has he tried to hurt you? Did you at least restrain him so he can’t throttle you in the middle of the night?”

“Saints, Keegan, he’s not an animal,” Jasper huffed. He wouldn’t mention the fact that the Shadow had pinned him to the wall, or that Jasper had a bruise along his collarbone from where the Shadow’s arm slammed into him. 

They moved down the servant’s hall and Jasper stopped at a large wooden door. The automaton servants all paused what they were doing to greet the prince. 

“All I’m saying is that you need to be careful,” Keegan said in a hushed voice. “He’s dangerous.”

“He’s injured and yes, he’s weary, but he hasn’t tried to hurt me,” Jasper replied, moving towards the back corner of the room where a few broken automatons laid. He crouched next to the one with the ‘out of order’ sign hanging around his neck and flipped him on. 

“Your majesty, it’s lovely to meet you. I’m Athen,” the automaton said joyfully.

“I know who you are, Athen, we’ve met before,” Jasper told him, helping the Automaton off the floor.

“Have we?” the automaton asked quizzically. He scratched his head and looked around. “I’m afraid I don’t remember, my lord.”

“What did you do, take his memory chip out?” Keegan asked sarcastically. Jasper merely glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. “Saints be damned, Jasper!”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow,” Athen told them, his voice still cheery.

“Don’t worry about it. I need you to come with me,” Jasper grunted, turning to glare at Keegan. 

“Of course your majesty,” Athen replied, following Jasper out of the room. 

“Jasper,” Keegan said, his tone softer. He took his prince by the arms and turned him. “Look, I understand that you want to help him, but I can’t stress to you how dangerous he is.”

“I know how dangerous he is,” Jasper said softly. “But he’s injured and the two times he’s tried to move on his own he’s collapsed. So right now, all I’m worried about is getting him better.”

“And what will you be worried about once he’s better?” Keegan demanded. 

“I don’t know, but I have time before I figure that out and so long as no one says anything, I don’t have to worry about someone finding out.” Jasper gave Keegan a pointed look.   
“I won’t say anything,” Keegan promised. “But, at the first sign of trouble, I’m taking charge.”

“Okay,” Jasper agreed. 

As much as Jasper hoped Keegan would leave him at the end of the hall, the man just continued along until they were outside Jasper’s bedroom door. 

“You’re not going in there,” Jasper told Keegan. He crossed his arms over his chest to make his point. 

Keegan glared at him in annoyance while Athen watched the two of them with a ridiculously gleeful smile on his face. Then again, he had been programmed to be the nicest and happiest automaton in the world. It was kind of the reason Jasper had chosen him. He would probably return to his room one day to find the Shadow had dismantled the over joyous automaton, but it was a chance Jasper was willing to take if it would help him gain the Shadow’s trust.

“I just want to talk to him, maybe threaten him a little,” Keegan replied innocently. 

“I know you have court duty soon and you can’t be late. Goodbye, Keegan.”

“Fine,” Keegan grunted. “But don’t come crying to me when you wake up dead one morning because you weren’t cautious enough.”

“Don’t worry, the last thing I want to hear from you when I’m dead is I told you so,” Jasper called after him. He shook his head and opened his door. 

He was relieved to find the Shadow still in bed. When he had gotten back from his hospital rounds that morning he had found the man on his knees half way to the bathroom. It had made the Shadow learn to ask for help and it made Jasper learn that though the man was tough, someone needed to be there when he couldn’t. 

Blue eyes watched Jasper calculatingly as he walked into the room. Jasper watched him to, noticing the barest of a flinch when those eyes spotted Athen. 

“It’s okay,” Jasper said in a soothing tone. He shut the door and moved towards the Shadow’s bed. “This is Athen,” he explained, sitting on the edge of the bed. “He’s going to change the sheets and help me get you into the bath. He’ll be staying here for a while to help you when I’m not around.”

“Hello,” Athen waved, “pleasure to meet you.”

“I don’t need a baby sitter,” the Shadow said sourly.

“No, but you do need help moving around. You make me worry when I come to my room and find you collapsed on the floor.”

The Shadow frowned, glancing down at his wounded left side. Jasper knew he hated being stuck needing help, especially since it was coming from someone the Shadow believed to be an enemy. After a long moment of silence Jasper moved to stand.

“You’re sweaty,” the Shadow stated, his tone reluctant again. “I didn’t realize medical training was so rigorous.”

“It’s not,” Jasper chuckled. “But military training is.”

“I didn’t think the younger sons learned to fight.”

“Normally they don’t,” Jasper replied, pulling the covers off the Shadow’s body. “But my father thought it would be important for me to learn. Frederic has some medical training too.”  
The Shadow was silent as Jasper helped him transfer from one bed to the other. Athen got right to work, stripping the Shadow’s bed. Jasper made sure the other man was comfortable on his bed and went to run the water. In the few sort minutes he was gone the Shadow had fallen asleep.

That sent immediate alarm through Jasper. Was the Shadow having trouble sleeping in the other bed? Was there something else keeping the man up all night? Though he wanted answers now, Jasper told himself he had to wait until the Shadow woke up again. He instructed Athen to turn off the water in the tub and power down until the Shadow woke again. Until that time Jasper would work on a few things his father had sent for him. No point in getting cleaned up if he would have to join the Shadow in the tub anyway. Besides, staying smelly and sweaty meant Jasper would get his work done faster. 

~~~  
Beau jerked awake, gritting his teeth against a grunt of pain when he twisted and pulled at his stitches. He didn’t know what had woken him, but it had put him on alert. Shifting slightly, Beau glanced around the room, spotting the automaton servant slumped against the wall. Jasper was seated at his desk, reading a stack of papers in front of him. 

Beau sighed, noting he was still in the prince’s bed. That mean he must have fallen asleep almost immediately after the prince had moved him. He scrubbed a hand across his face and pushed himself up. “How long have I been asleep?” he asked in a rough tone.

The prince’s head whipped around and he quickly stood. He paused when Beau couldn’t hide a slight flinch and held up his hands.

“Sorry,” he said softly. “You’ve been asleep for about two hours.” Jasper moved to the edge of his be and sat down, watching Beau with a hint of worry. “Are you having trouble sleeping in your bed?”

“The bed is fine,” Beau replied, ignoring the fact that the prince had called it his bed. “I just don’t sleep a lot at night.” It was true. Most of Beau’s work was done late at night and when he was forced to entertain a bedmate, sometimes he didn’t get to sleep until the next morning. 

“Being in a new place probably doesn’t help,” Jasper sighed. “Would you like to sleep a little more or would you like to take a bath?”

Beau looked Jasper over, noting he was still in the same clothes as before. “I can wash myself,” he grumbled defensively. “I don’t need your help.”

“I’m sure you can,” Jasper told him politely as he removed Beau’s IV. “But since you’re down a hand I figured I would let you use one of mine.” Jasper smirked at his own joke and stood. He flipped on the automaton and moved back to the bed. “No fighting with me,” Jasper warned as he helped Beau stand. 

Beau didn’t know whether he should feel annoyed or flattered by the prince’s teasing. No one had really ever teased with him before. The Captain would occasionally, but it wasn’t teasing like this. Jasper seemed to be enjoying Beau’s company, regardless of the fact that they were enemies and that Beau was extremely dangerous. 

With the automaton’s help, Jasper managed to get Beau into the bathroom. Jasper striped off Beau’s clothed and helped him onto a small wooden stool. He gently peeled off the bandages on Beau’s wounds and inspected the stitches. 

“They’re looking good,” Jasper told him as he pulled a clear looking tape off a piece of paper. “I was worried they weren’t going to heal well because of your emaciated condition.”

“I’ve healed before in this condition,” Beau told him as Jasper pressed the edges of the clear tape around his stitches. 

“Well once you get some weight on you, you’ll never have to be in this condition again.”

“Tell me, prince, what do you plan on doing with me once I’ve healed? Bring me to you father so you can force me to fight for you?” Beau asked. 

“Jasper, please,” Jasper replied, looking into Beau’s eyes. It was disconcerting, considering everyone usually avoided eye contact with the Shadow. “And my father will never know about you. You’ve had a hard life so far, the last thing I would want to do is force you back into it. I was hoping that once you healed you would want to start again. I would be happy to find you a house close by in a small town, maybe help you choose a profession that doesn’t include killing.” Jasper had dropped his eyes to Beau’s wounds, but he brought them back up to meet Beau’s blue eyes. “There is one thing I can promise you, if you don’t want to, you will never have to kill again.”

Beau’s throat tightened at the prince’s words and he forced himself to swallow. “Don’t… don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Beau told him, his voice cracking with emotion he couldn’t tamp down. It was a wonderful idea, to be free from the life he had been forced into, but it would never happen. Someone would find a way to drag him back into the life he hated, they always did. 

“You don’t believe me?” Jasper asked, giving Beau a crooked smile.

“And what about if your father does find out?” Beau demanded. 

“My father is a reasonable man. He would listen to what I had to say and probably agree wth me.” Jasper paused a moment, watching Beau. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Beau wanted to tell the prince he was a liar , but Beau had never met the king and he couldn’t pass judgment on the man just yet. “I’ve been promised a lot of things in my life and I’ve learned not to put too much faith in them.”

“Fair enough,” Jasper nodded, standing up and helping Beau back onto his feet. 

Beau was surprised at the easy acceptance of his words. He thought Jasper would have at least tried to convince him that he would keep his promise. Was there anything that perturbed this prince?

The bathtub was as large as it was around and Jasper had to strip naked and climb in in order to help Beau in. Jasper settled Beau in a raised chair so the water only submerged him up to his hips. He could just barely touch the bottom of the tub and the water was deep enough to submerge Jasper up to his thighs.

“Do you mind if I wash first?” Jasper asked, cocking his head at Beau. 

Beau shook his head, letting his eyes stray away from Jasper. He ran his hand along the porcelain wall of the tub, wondering if the prince took baths often.Jasper didn’t seem like the type to sit in rose scented water for hours, but he was a prince and any prince Beau had met would sit in rose scented water for hours. 

He let his eyes drift back to Jasper, glad to have the prince’s back to him. Beau had discovered his interest in men while bathing in the baths after training when he was younger and sitting here watching Jasper reminded him of how much he enjoyed watching another man bathe. 

Jasper’s light brown hair darkened when he poured water over it and Beau’s eyes followed the water as it trailed over Jasper’s sun kissed skin, Instead of scars, Jasper’s skin was covered in small freckles that were abundant on his shoulders and lessened as they moved down his back. He was well muscled and Beau wondered if the prince was as gentle in bed as he was out of it. 

The thought reminded him of another man who’d had gentle hands. Actually, Beau could hardly call themselves men at the time, they were both only fifteen when they had met. The military had been using Beau to train the younger recruits, to show them how ruthless fighters could be in battle. Beau had bested them all and they had all become better soldiers because of it. 

Tegan hadn’t been anything special when he was up against Beau, but in the baths; Beau couldn’t keep his eyes off him. He had a handsome and kind face and a body that had yet to see the trials of war. Beau had been so caught up in Tegan that he hadn’t realized he’d been caught until Tegan came over and spoke to him. 

Out of fear Beau had ignored him, afraid of what would happen if anyone discovered his taste in men. Tegan was persistent and somehow found his way to Beau’s door. Beau had been spending the nights at the training grounds and he had been placed in a separate room far away from the barracks. Couldn’t have the Shadow going into a rage and killing his own people. But Tegan had found him and had slipped into the room and patiently waited until Beau would let him closer. That was the first night Beau had ever felt happiness and pleasure and the two of them found it whenever they could.

Tegan even snuck into Beau’s room late at night and the made love quietly, afraid of what would happen if Beau’s father found out. They were together for a year before anyone became suspicious of what was going on between them. Unfortunately, it had been Beau’s father who had first thought something strange was going on between his son and Tegan. It was the same night Beau’s father had caught them in bed together and he quickly roused the authorities. Homosexuality was illegal to those in Padolea that didn’t have enough money or power to force people to turn the other way and Tegan wasn’t one of them. He was the son of a fisherman and had little money to survive on. So when they were discovered, Tegan was hung the next day and Beau was beaten by his father for hours. 

Unfortunately, Beau’s father had a twisted mind and concocted a story he could use to his advantage. The first night Beau was forced to lay with another man for money had been one of the worst nights of his life and it had ruined him. Now, years later, he hardly felt the men in bed with him and he was so use to what they did with his body that nothing could bother him anymore. 

Beau gasped at the pain of the memory and pushed it away, focusing back on Jasper. While he was stuck here with this man, he could at least enjoy looking at him, knowing Jasper would never touch him. At least, he hoped Jasper was a kind enough man not to touch him like the others did. 

The prince had turned and was now facing him, running a soapy cloth lower on his body. There was no hint of shame on his face as he took his cut cock in his hand and washed himself. Beau let his eyes wander to the prince’s thick cock. He might not enjoy sex anymore, but he still had desires. Desires which were causing his own cock to slowly come to life as Jasper rinsed himself off. His nipples perked as the water ran over them and Beau had to look away to keep his body from reacting anymore. He could only imagine what the Prince’s reaction would be to the Padolean killer getting aroused because of him. 

The water rippled as Jasper moved closer to Beau. He dipped a small cup in the water and reached for Beau, gently tilting his head back and pouring the water over his hair. Jasper talked to Beau, telling him everything he was going to do and asking him if where he was touching was okay. Beau was fine with Jasper touching him, the prince had been doing it for days and he had yet to harm Beau. Jasper washed him gently, careful not to press to hard against the bruises that covered Beau’s skin. 

“I”m going to wash between your legs,” Jasper said, sliding his fingers up Beau’s inner thigh.

Beau nodded and shifted, opening his legs slightly so Jasper could reach. The minute Jasper’s fingers touched him Beau’s cock reacted and a sudden bolt of fear caused him to shove Jasper away.

“It’s okay,” Jasper soothed, moving towards Beau again. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” He slid his hands between Beau’s legs again and cupped his cock, washing it gently. “That’s a good sign.”

“For what,” Beau grunted.

“It means you still enjoy being touched,” Jasper replied, moving his hands to Beau’s legs. 

Beau didn’t agree, his cock always reacted to someone touching him, even if he didn’t want to be touched. 

Jasper finished washing Beau’s body and rinsed him off. He helped Beau out of the tub and onto a small stool. Reaching up, Beau rubbed his face with his hand, scowling at the beard growing. He hated body hair and usually shaved it off, unfortunately, with one arm completely useless, he hadn’t been able to do that lately. 

“I can shave it for you,” Jasper suggested. He paused for a moment and bit his lower lip. “Your beard, I mean, I don’t know if I’d be able to shave the rest of you.”

Beau’s eyes hardened with suspicion, “And give you easy access to my throat so you can cut it open?”

Jasper rolled his eyes. “I already told you that’s not why I saved you.” He went to a table at the far wall of the room and pulled out a small container and a razor. “Just hold still, please?”

Beau stared at him for a moment before relenting. The prince opened the jar and covered Beau’s face in cream. He made quick work of the razor, and Beau’s face was quickly rid of hair. When Jasper stepped back, Beau reached up and smoothed his hand over his clean shaven face. 

“Thank you,” he said.

“Your welcome,” Jasper smiled, putting the blade aside and wiping Beau down with a towel. 

Once they were dry, Jasper helped Beau back into the bedroom and set him on the bed. He picked up a small bottle from the table and joined Beau of the bed. Beau stiffened when Jasper poured oil onto his hand. They were both still naked and Jasper was sitting besides Beau’s legs. He could easily overtake Beau in his condition and fuck him. 

The scent of fruit hit Beau’s nose and he immediately recognized it. “What is that?” he finally asked hesitantly. 

“Coconut oil,” Jasper explained, rubbing his hand over Beau’s leg. “It was brought over on the last Heteri trade ship. It’ll help your skin heal.”

“My skin doesn’t need to heal and I don’t like smelling like fruit,” Jasper rumbled. 

“I like the way it smells on you,” Jasper told him with a smirk. “And your skin is very dry, it’s needs some moisture. Plus the oil will help with your scars.”

That got Beau’s attention. “It will make them disappear?” he asked hopefully. 

Jasper frowned and shook his head. “It will help them fade, but they won’t go away completely.”

Beau mirrored Jasper’s frown and fell silent. The scars Beau had to look at every day were horrid reminders of the things he had endured and he hated that there was no way to make them disappear. 

“How did you manage to make peace with the Heteri?” he asked when the silence grew heavy.

“My father traveled there a few years ago and he and the Prime Minister agreed to a trade alliance. We give them metals and they give us goods,” Jasper explained as he helped Beau sit forward. 

He rubbed oil over Beau’s back and Beau closed his eyes. Beth used to rub his back when he was upset and Beau had always enjoyed the soothing touch. Jasper’s gentle hands were no different and Beau let himself savor the moment of comfort. 

“I’m glad your people realized that trade was better then conquering countries for their goods.”

Jasper nodded, “It is unfortunate that your country only thinks of war when they want something. Thing would be much easier for Padolea and the countries surrounding it to make peace with each other. 

“I have yet to meet a president who wanted peace instead of war,” Beau scowled.

“One day your people are going to get tired of war and poverty and they will be the ones to bring about change,” Jasper told Beau as he finished his arms. “All done.”

Beau looked up to thank him, but when their eyes met, Jasper made a small noise of surprise. 

“Your eyes,” Jasper whispered, cupping Beau’s face in his hands. 

Beau tensed at the comment and tried to pull away, but Jasper held onto him. “It’s not dangerous,” he said defensively.

Jasper cocked his head, “I know it’s not. I’ve just never seen secular heterochromia before. I mean, I’ve read about it, but I’ve never seen it in real life.”

“Read about it in books? Like, medical books?”

“Of course in medical books,” Jasper huffed. “Where else would I read it.”

“So it’s normal?” Beau breathed. The first time his father had seen the color change in his eyes, he called Beau an animal. Beau had grown up thinking that he was some sort of monster because half his eyes turned brown.

“Of course it’s normal,” Jasper frowned. “Why would someone tell you it’s not? It’s usually cause by a lack of melanin or sometimes trauma. How long have you had it?”

“My whole life,” Beau replied, letting his eyes meet Jasper’s. 

“It could be genetic, which means it was passed down to you by your mother or father. My friend Keegan has central heterochromia, where the inner part of his eye is brown and the outer part is a bluish grey. It’s pretty amazing to see.”

“I don’t think anyone whose seen it before as called it amazing.”

“Probably because they don’t know what they’re looking at. If you like, I can do some more research on it so you can understand it better.”

“I-I would like that,” Beau Breathed, feeling relief. Maybe he wasn’t an animal after all.


	5. Chapter 5

“Are you always this professional with your patients?” Beau growled as Jasper waved a spoon in front of his face.

“Only when they’re as grumpy as you are,” Jasper teased, pressing the spoon against Beau’s lips. “Come on, you can’t tell me you don’t like it without trying it.”

Grunting, Beau took the spoon in his mouth. It didn’t look terrible and Jasper had made him eat worse things in the last week. The frozen treat was sweet on his tongue and it quickly melted as he swallowed it down. 

“Told you,” Jasper said triumphantly as he ate a spoonful himself. 

“I don’t know why you keep insisting on feeding me all this food. Haven’t I gained enough weight?”

“You are still too thin and malnourished,” Jasper replied bluntly. “You were deficient of almost everything when I found you and whatever I give you is helping your body restore everything it didn’t have.”

“And what is this giving me?” Beau asked, motioning to the spoon Jasper was holding up for him again. 

“This is a treat for being such a good patient,” Jasper cooed. 

“Gods you’re insufferable sometimes,” Beau huffed.

Jasper was about to reply when someone knocked on his door. Jasper was immediately on his feet, pulling the curtain around Beau’s bed, while Beau squirmed lower in his bed. This was only the second time Jasper had had to do this, but it still made them both tense. The curtain was thick enough that no one could see through it, but Jasper had been sneaking medical supplies out of the hospital for Beau and he worried someone would notice them missing. Then there was the fear of Jasper’s brother being at the door. The older prince was a soldier and he had been trained to notice little details that were suspicious. 

Jasper’s feet moved swiftly to the door and it creaked open. There was a short pause and then Jasper said, “Father.”

Beau tensed even more. Of course the king would visit his son and he was just as much of a threat as the older prince was. 

“Jasper,” the king’s deep voice replied. “May I come in?”

“Is something wrong?” Jasper asked as feet moved into the room. 

“Nothing is wrong,” the king replied in the same gentle tone Jasper always used. “Vestra mentioned that you’ve been distracted lately and he was worried that you might be feeling overwhelmed lately.”

“Vestra has nothing to worry about. I’m fine,” Jasper replied. 

Beau detected a hint of irritation in the prince’s voice and it made him smile. Apparently there were things that frustrated the prince. Unfortunately, it was others worrying about his wellbeing that caused it. Beau didn’t like that the prince care more about others then he did for himself. 

A chair scraped across the floor, creaking slightly when someone sat down. “Jasper, I want you to be truthful with me,” the king started. “Is it the extra work I’m giving you? If you feel overwhelmed I can lessen the work.”

“It’s not the work, I promise,” Jasper said, huffing out a laugh. “I just have a patient that needs a little extra care, that’s all.”

The king hummed in understanding, which mean Jasper had probably used that excuse before. It made Beau wonder how many injured men Jasper snuck into his room. Probably no one as dangerous as him. 

“Anything I can help with?” the king asked. 

“I don’t think bringing the king to his bedside will make it better,” Jasper laughed. “He doesn’t trust me as it is.”

The king hummed again. “Well, if you need a break let me know. I would much prefer the paperwork then talking to your brother about choosing a suitor.”

“I had a feeling that was why you were here,” Jasper said in a slight accusatory tone. “We both know Frederic doesn’t prefer men or women, but I could try to talk to him.”

“I just want to know why. I try to bring it up and he just shuts down. You were so much easier to talk to about this.”

“He won’t talk to you about it because he believes he needs to choose a wife for his kingdom. It’s his line that will continue our lineage. It wasn’t exactly easy for me to tell you either. I didn’t know how you would react to having two sons that were… different.”

“You and Frederic are not different. Just because you like men and Frederic has no preference in either does not make you different. We will find a way around it when the time comes. For now, I just want my sons to talk to me and tell me what they want.”

“Well, maybe you’re not introducing Frederic to the right people,” Jasper suggested. 

“That may be true, but he needs to tell me. I know it’s selfish, but you’ve always been able to get him to open up.”

“It’s not selfish. With everything going on we’ve all been distant. I will talk to Frederic and try to convince him to talk to you.”

“Thank you, Jasper,” the king sighed. There was a pause in there conversation and the king cleared his throat. “And how do you feel about the Kianto prince?”

Jasper breathed a heavy sigh. “I like Hale a lot, but I want him to be a friend, not a lover.”

“Then I won’t push the subject anymore. I have faith you and your brother will find someone someday. Knowing you, you’ll choose someone I’d never expect.”

Jasper laughed and promised his father he wouldn’t do something so drastic. 

“I think the three of us should have dinner together. You can tell me about this a patient that’s taking up all of your concentration and maybe the two of us can get your brother to open up.”

“I’d like that,” Jasper said softly. “Frederic would like it too.”

“Then it’s settled. After your rounds in the hospital, we’ll have dinner.” The chair creaked again and footsteps moved towards the door. “Jasper,” the king started when the door opened. “You and your brother doth know you can talk to me about anything?”

“Of course we do,” Jasper replied, sounding confused. 

“I just wanted to make sure. I know this war with the Padoleans has been stressful on the both of you and sitting around waiting for their next move has put us all on edge. I do worry.”  
“Dad,” Jasper pressed, the word so informal it startle Beau. Surely the king wouldn’t approve of being called that. “You’ve been under just as much stress as Frederic and I. We’re not going to weigh you down with mundane issues like difficult patients or disobedient soldiers. We’re fine and we promise to come to you if something is really wrong.”

“I know you will,” the king replied gratefully. “Saints, how did I get so lucky to have such good children. I’ll see you tonight for dinner.”

The door creaked shut and Beau slid himself further under the covers. Listening to Jasper and his father talk had made him jealous. What god granted Jasper the luck of having a caring and loving father, while Beau was stuck with the man who had raised him to be a killer. 

The curtain was pulled back and Jasper paused when his eyes met Beau’s. “What’s that look for?” he asked curiously. “I don’t think my father suspected there was someone else in the room. He would have said something if he did.”

Beau forced himself to wipe the emotion from his face and shook his head, turning his head away from Jasper. He didn’t want to tell Jasper that he was upset that Jasper had a father who cared and that Beau envied him. He also didn’t want to admit that there was anger swelling in him for all the times the captain tried to gain custody of Beau and was denied. 

“Shadow?” Jasper asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

“Your father,” Beau paused and cleared his throat. “He does seem like a reasonable man. It does surprise me, though, that he’s not more concerned that his eldest son doesn’t want to marry.”

“My father and his three brothers were all forced to marry when they turned eighteen. Granted, my father and mother loved each other before they were betrothed, my uncles weren’t so lucky. So my father promised that his children and his brother’s children wouldn’t marry unless they wanted to. Obviously we’re going to have suitors, royalty can’t just marry anyone, though, I don’t think my father would oppose if we found someone worthy of the crown. He knows Frederic and I will one day settle down.”

Jasper reached out and cupped Beau’s face in his hand. It was a gentle touch, something Jasper did a lot with Beau. It had helped Beau stop flinching whenever the prince reached for him and Beau was mostly comforted by the touch. Beau’s jaw was one of the few spots that didn’t have ugly yellow bruising on it and Jasper took his time gliding his thumb over the skin. 

“I won’t be able to bring you dinner till I get back” Jasper told him as he caressed the underside of Beau’s jaw. “Will that be okay?”

“It’s fine,” Beau nodded, subtly pressing himself against Jasper’s hand. “Enjoy your family dinner.”

Jasper smiled and leaned forward, startling Beau when the prince’s lips pressed to his cheek. There was a few seconds pause before Jasper pulled back, his cheeks a dark pink. 

“I-I should go find my brother before dinner,” Jasper said, his voice hoarse. “Will you be okay alone? I mean, Athen is here but…”

“I’ll be fine,” Beau whispered, feeling slightly dazed. 

Jasper gave a sharp nod and crawled off the bed. He quickly pulled on his shoes and left the room. Beau sat staring at the door, his fingers moving to the spot Jasper had kissed. The only other person to kiss him like that was Beth and she had only done it in a motherly gesture. Why Jasper had done it utterly confused Beau.

~~~  
Jasper’s fingers traced over his lips. He could still feel the Shadow’s stubble rasping across his fingertips. He didn’t know why he impulsively kissed the Shadow’s cheek, but the look of utter surprise on the Shadow’s face almost made Jasper kiss him again. The man seemed confounded by even the simplest kind gestures. Then again, the fact that the shadow was surprised by those gestures was telling of the abuse he had endured. 

It was something Jasper needed to keep reminding himself of. Jasper wanted the Shadow to trust him, he couldn’t absently do things the man might see as abuse. Jasper needed to tread carefully. 

Jasper moved across the training grounds, nodding at the soldiers he passed as they paused in their training to bow to him. He found his brother with a group of children, teaching them basic defense tactics. One of the young girls caught sight of him and let out a startled cry as she fell to her knees. The rest of the children followed, their reactions ranging from surprise, to awe as they dropped to their knees. 

“On you feet, all of you,” Frederic commanded. “If someone were to attack right now your prince would be dead and so would all of you. You will greet him like you greet me, by standing at attention.” 

“Don’t say such frightening things, they’re just children,” Jasper scolded. “I d know how to fight, remember?” He looked over the children and smiled softly at them. 

“What do you need, brother?” Frederic asked formally.

“Father wants us to join him for dinner and I wanted to talk to you before we go,” Jasper replied. 

Frederic frowned at him, but nodded, dismissing the children with a wave of his hand. “Is this about my suitors?” he asked once they were alone.

“A little bit,” Jasper replied, walking away from the training area. Frederic followed along, grumbling angrily. Jasper glanced over his shoulder at him. “It’s also because we all haven’t seen much of each other since we’ve returned home.”

“You’ve been busy in the hospital and I’ve had to increase training. We don’t know when the Padoleans will attack again and we need to be ready.”

“According to our scouts, the country had been in chaos since the Shadow was killed,” Jasper replied, his mind wandering back to the man in his room and the surprised look on his face when Jasper had kissed his cheek.

Frederic’s brown eyes glanced at Jasper. I don’t want to risk lowering out guard just in case it’s a ruse.” 

“Fair enough,” Jasper nodded. “And no, we aren’t having dinner together to discuss suitors. In fact, father isn’t expecting you to choose anyone. He just wants to know if you prefer the women you’re meeting or not. But what he would really like to know is if you want a suitor at all?”

“Even if I didn’t want to marry, it’s my duty to my country to marry and produce children.” 

Jasper stopped and grabbed his brother’s arm. “No it isn’t, Frederic. This country will manage if you don’t marry or have children and father doesn’t want you thinking that way.”

“This is why father asks you to talk to me,” Frederic sighed, “because he knows I’ll listen to you.” He started moving and a smirk pulled at his lips. “And how have your choices of suitors been?”

“I would prefer it if other countries didn’t demonize my sexuality. Most of the men I’ve met are so disgusted with themselves they hardly talk to me, and the rest are so nervous they just avoid me. Then there are the ones that have been accepted who are just so…”

“Snobbish?” Frederic finished. 

“Yes,” Jasper breathed.

“But is there someone you are seeing at the moment? Vestra has mentioned that you’ve been distracted lately.”

“Vestra needs to stop being so observant,” Jasper grumbled. “It’s a patient. He’s… different and I’ve been spending a lot of time with him.”

“Different like Kaspen different?” Frederic asked, raising a brow. 

“Much different then Kaspen,” Jasper assured. 

Kaspen had been in Jasper’s care four years ago when a bullet had taken the man’s leg. Kaspen had been hellbent on taking his life and Jasper swore he could help the man find the joy life still had to offer. Instead of making things better, Jasper had been pulled down into Kaspen’s depression and became depressed himself. Kaspen had also been verbally abusive to Jasper and whenever someone said something about it, Jasper brushed it off as Kaspen needing an outlet for his anger. It didn’t take long for Jasper to started believing the things Kaspen had been yelling at him. Frederic had tried many times to get Jasper to see what Kaspen was doing to him, but it had taken the king’s intervention to help Jasper see what was happening. 

It had taken a lot for Jasper to walk away, but it had been better for him in the long run; and Kaspen had been sent off to a facility that would help him with his depression. From time to time Jasper would check in on him to make sure he was doing well, but Jasper had learned not to get involved again. So far Kaspen was doing well, but every once in a while he would lapse back into his depression and Jasper would worry Kaspen would end his life until news came that he was better. 

The Shadow, on the other hand, was determined not to die and would probably fight a fly if it threatened his life. What the Shadow did desire was freedom and that was something Jasper could easily give him. 

“So long as they aren’t wearing you down, I’m glad you have patients that are keeping you busy,” Frederic smirked.

“And I’m glad you’re keeping our military ready for combat. You never were good with idle hands,” Jasper shot back. Frederic snorted and gave Jasper a shove. Jasper laughed, but it died quickly when he caught a glimpse of the dark skinned man that had shot the Shadow. “He still follows you around?” Jasper asked, nodding in the direction he had spotted the man. 

“He is very grateful that I let him kill the Padolean Shadow, but he isn’t convinced he’s dead. It’s caused some problems for our father and I’ve been sending him out on scouting missions recently to keep him from interrupting private meetings. He’s leaving for the northern border this evening.”

“What do you mean he doesn’t think the Shadow’s dead?” Jasper asked.

“Apparently he went back to the place he shot the Shadow and the body was gone,” Frederic explained. 

“Maybe someone was kind enough to take him and give him a proper burial,” Jasper suggested.

“He believes the devil opened up the earth and dragged his demon child back to hell,” Frederic grunted, rolling his eyes. “Whoever took him, they have my sword too.”

“The one you told father you lost on the battlefield?”

“He would have killed me if I had told him I’d left it in the Shadow’s shoulder,” Frederic grumbled. 

Jasper snorted and followed his brother into the house. He glanced behind him to see if he could spot his brother’s shadow and worry crept up inside him. If the man believed the Shadow was still alive, then Jasper would have to be careful with him. Thankfully he’d been away running errands for Frederic, so there was no way he could know the Shadow was alive and in Jasper’s care. 

~~~  
Beau sat quietly as he listened to the muffled conversation in the hall. Though he couldn’t hear what they were saying he recognized one of the voices as Jasper’s and assumed the other voice was his brother’s. Jasper had said something that had made them both laugh and Beau felt another pang of jealousy. Frederic might be up tight, but he obviously had a good relationship with Jasper. They shared a few more words before the door to the room opened and Beau stiffened. He was sure Jasper wouldn’t bring his brother into the bedroom, but he also didn’t want the older prince to catch a glimpse of Beau either. 

Jasper slipped through the door, wishing his brother good night before closing it. When he turned around he wore a bright smile on his face and he looked more settled then he had that afternoon; almost as if spending time with his family had ground the prince.

“How was dinner?” Beau asked as Jasper moved further into the room. 

“It was nice,” Jasper replied, tapping Athen on his head. “I really haven’t seen much of my brother of my father lately and it was nice to catch up.”

Athen blinked open his eyes ad introduced himself like he always did when Jasper needed him. Jasper accepted the introduction with a smile and instructed the automaton to go to the kitchens and get dinner and desert for Jasper. He had some elaborate explanation as to why he would need food when he had just eaten and sent Athen on his way.

Beau watched him as Jasper kicked off his shoes. “You’re lucky you have a family that cares about you. One that asks you to have dinner with them because they worry about you.”

“I care about you,” Jasper said gently. He settled himself on the edge of Beau’s bed and turned to face him. “And I know it might not sound good to you, but you do have me to eat dinner with.”

Beau pursed his lips and nodded tensely. He wasn’t sure if Jasper really cared about him or that he cared more about Beau healing.

Jasper stared at Beau for a moment and sighed, looking around the room. “You’ve been cooped up in here for a while. Would you like to eat you dinner in the garden?”

“Aren’t you worried that someone is going to see us?” Beau asked.

“There is a fence that runs around the perimeter of the garden. My mother had it put up when I was younger so no one would try to sneak in. Trust me, if anyone wants to scale that fence they deserve to get into the garden.”

Beau wasn’t completely comfortable with the idea, but he was feeling the need to climb the walls and Jasper was looking at him like inviting people into his garden wasn’t something he did often. Maybe it was Jasper’s safe space, like the room in the captain’s house was Beau’s. 

“Alright,” he finally said.

Jasper gave him a small smile and pulled the blankets down. He helped Beau out of bed, letting him lean on him as Beau worked to get a pair of slippers on his feet. 

Outside, Beau scanned the rows of blooming flowers. The fence Jasper had talked about rose several feet above the garden and was covered in thick vines that blocked the view of anyone trying to look outside or in. As he looked over each flower while they walked, Beau realized that the gardens back home were merely plots of soil with withering growth. Nothing grew well in Padolea, probably because the people in charge had sucked the earth of everything to sustain their greed. 

“This is beautiful,” Beau commented, taking in all the vibrant colors and life that surrounded him. 

“My mother started it before I was born,” Jasper explained as they made their way slowly through the garden maze. “She taught me how to care for the plants and my father taught me how to use them to heal. I spend every morning out here before I go to the hospital tending to them.”

“Do you ever sleep?” Beau huffed, receiving a chuckle from Jasper. “Your mother must love spending time out here.”

“She does,” Jasper replied, but didn’t elaborate how she got out here without walking through Jasper’s room. As far a Beau knew, Jasper was the only one who knew he was here.

They had come to a small circle of stone where a table and chairs sat in the center. A bench swing sat off to the side, overlooking a small pond, were fish who were just as vibrant as the flowers swam. The sight of all the colors mesmerized Beau. He had no idea the world still had this much life in it. 

Jasper helped Beau into a cushioned chair and pulled the other chair around the table so he could sit close to Beau.

“Did your mother teach you anything?” he asked as he adjusted Beau’s sling. 

“I never knew my mother,” Beau confessed before he could stop himself. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jasper whispered, setting a comforting hand on Beau’s arm. “I was seven when my mother died. She had just given birth to my sister and there were complications that made her very sick. They tried everything they could to save her, but the illness moved through her body too fast.” 

“But I thought you said your mother enjoys the garden?” Beau asked. He paused for a moment before he added, “You have a sister.?”

Jasper smiled sadly and nodded. “My mother still enjoys the garden because she’s buried here. I make sure her favorite flowers are always planted around her grave. As for my sister, she is currently in Ecante at school. She’ll be home soon for break.”

Beau sat quietly, letting this new information sink in. How was it no one had known about the sister? Not all women were treated as poorly as Padolean women. Surely the president had to have thought she would pose a threat. If the Padoleans had taken over Arabenda, she could have easily retaliated. Padolea had enough enemies that would happily aid Arabenda and help them take down the problematic country. 

“What’s wrong?” Jasper asked, setting a hand on Beau’s shoulder again. 

Beau jerked away from the touch. “It’s nothing,” he replied in a cold tone.

Jasper took a breath and sat back, giving Beau some space. It infuriated Beau that Jasper never pressed him for answers. If he did, then it would give Beau a reason to fight back.   
Athen brought Beau a tray of food, setting a plate of meat and vegetables, and a bowl of soup in front of him. He added a glass of flavored water to the table and happily told Beau to enjoy.

“So how did your talk of suitors go?” Beau asked, spearing a green vegetable off his plate. It tasted a little like boiled cabbage, but the mixture of garlic and salt made it easier to swallow. 

“It was productive. My father is going to keep inviting men and women to meet with us until my brother and I meet someone we’re interested in.” Jasper smirked and leaned closer to Beau. “It’s a good thing you’re not one of the choices.”

“And why is that?” Beau grunted, stirring his spoon around the soup.

“Mostly because we probably never would have met if you were. Someone else would have snatched you up considering how beautiful you are.”

Jasper said something more, but the comment had startled Beau, causing him to knock over his soup. The bowl and its contents flipped over the table and shattered on the stone floor.

“What?” he stuttered. “No, I’m not…”

“I’ve seen you without the bruises, Shadow, I know how handsome you are. Even with the bruises I can still see it.”

“I’m not beautiful or handsome,” Beau replied defensively. 

“And why not?” Jasper asked. There was a triumphant look in his eyes and Beau hated him for it. 

“Because,” Beau ground out. “I’m a…” he cut himself off before he could utter the word ‘whore.’ “I’m a killer.”

“A killer doesn’t make you ugly,” Jasper replied. “And there are a lot of people who say the way you kill is beautiful.”

“Don’t call it beautiful, no one should call it that,” Beau spat, slamming his fist on the table. “What I do is murder, there is nothing beautiful about it.”

Jasper was silent, all teasing gone from his face as he studied Beau. “You don’t do it because you enjoy it?”

“I hate killing,” Beau hissed. His breathing had become harsh and his blood was pounding in his ears. Why would anyone think what he did was beautiful? That it was something he enjoyed and loved?

Soft fingers curled over his clenched fist and and Jasper squeezed his hand gently. “That’s a good thing, Shadow. It means you’re not a monster like people think.”

“Of course I’m a monster, the only think I know how to do is to kill, what is normal about that?”

Beau gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. The scrape of Jasper’s chair brought his attention back to the prince, but he didn’t open his eyes. An arm slid around Beau’s shoulders and a hand cupped his cheek. Jasper brought Beau’s face to his chest and held him there. The touch was foreign to Beau, but it helped to comfort him. 

“I’m sorry I upset you,” Jasper whispered, stroking Beau’s hair. “But I won’t take back that I think you’re beautiful, because you are.”

“Sweet talking me isn’t going to earn my trust,” Beau grunted as his body relaxed. 

“I don’t expect it to,” Jasper chuckled. “Finish your dinner before it gets cold and I’ll show you the rest of the flowers.”

Beau nodded, glad that Jasper wasn’t going to force him back into bed one he was finished eating. Jasper released Beau and brushed the hair out of his face before sitting back down. While Beau ate, Jasper told him about the garden and the things his parents had taught him. The prince’s soothing voice calmed the last Beau’s nerves and for a moment, he was grateful to have the prince with him.


	6. Chapter 6

Beau fidgeted in his bed, grumbling as the boredom that had been building up inside him for days began to annoy him. It was late in the afternoon and Jasper had yet to return from the hospital. He had left before Beau had woken that morning and there had been no word from him all day. The damned automaton had brought Beau his meals and though he denied it, Beau knew he was giving Jasper hourly updates. Probably to tell the prince that he was being a good boy and staying in bed. Having just a robot as a companion was irritating as all hell, especially when he spent most of the time standing in the corner, staring at nothing. 

Scanning the room, Beau’s eyes landed on the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room. He squinted to see if he could read any of the titles, but they were too far away and he couldn’t just get out of bed himself to look at them. 

“Hey, automaton,” Beau grunted, hating himself for needing help. 

The machine blinked and turned his head to Beau. “Oh, yes, is there anything you need. The prince told me to keep an eye on you and get you anything you need,” the automaton said in a cheery voice. 

“Yes, I know, come help me up,” Beau commanded, pushing the covers off his body. 

“Do you need to use the facilities?” Athen asked, moving towards the bed. 

“No, I want to look at the books,” Beau growled, easing himself up. 

“If you are bored, we can play a game or something.

“The only thing I would like to do to you is take you apart piece by piece,” Beau snapped, hooking his good arm around Athen’s neck. 

“If it will make you less grumpy, I would gladly let you disassemble me. Though, I don’t think the prince would approve of that. That is, unless you are confident you can put me back together before he returns.”

Beau rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth as the stitches in his side pulled when Athen pulled him to his feet. He couldn’t wait for Jasper to take them out. Athen helped him over to the bookshelf, chatting away as Beau looked over the books. Most of the titles he didn’t know, and some were in a language Beau had never seen. A thick tome of classic novels caught Beau’s eye and he studied the spine. The classics had always been a favorite of his, especially ones from civilizations that no longer existed. Unwrapping his good hand from Athen’s neck, Beau reached for the book.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Athen said, jerking Beau back. “The prince won’t appreciate you touching his things.”

“I would never disapprove of someone wanting to enjoy my books,” Jasper said from the doorway. His eyes met Beau’s and he smiled at him. “I’ll take him, Athen, would you mind getting the bath ready?”

“Certainly, my lord,” Athen nodded. 

Jasper’s hand brushed over Beau’s back, causing his skin to tingle pleasantly. As he got closer, Beau noticed that Jasper’s skin had darkened from the sun and Beau could smell the tang of sweat when Jasper pulled Beau against his body. 

“Training go on for too long?” Beau asked, leaning into Jasper. 

“No training today. I had a new patient come in that took some time to care for and then I spent the rest of the day building a house.”

“A house?” Beau asked, pulling the book off the shelf. It was heavier then he had expected and Jasper had to help him hold it up.

“There is a program for those in our country who are struggling to make ends meet. Most of them have lost their jobs and trying to get back on their feet. Many of them have families so we provide homes for them. At the end of every week the military spends a day helping the builders with a house. Sometimes it’s moving furniture into a finished home, other times it’s laying a new foundation. Today I helped put the frames for the walls together.”

“But you’re not technically military, so why would you go?”

“Because I am the Arabendian prince and my father believes that I should see all aspects of my country.”

“I hesitate to admit it, but you surprise me a lot more then I thought you would,” Beau said as Jasper turned him back to the bed. “I expected you to be like all the other princes I’ve… observed.”

“My kingdom finds it’s better for everyone to raise humble prince instead of spoiled ones,” Jasper explained, easing Beau into his desk chair. He set the book on the desk and ran his hand over the cover. “I never would have expected you to enjoy the classics.”

Beau heard the unspoken question in the prince’s comment and he decided to answer him as if he’d asked. “My Captain argued that I should be schooled because it would be beneficial for my assignments. He said that if I couldn’t read, then I wouldn’t be able to tell if a message was important or not. His wife was the only one who would teach me and she loved the classics, which I grew to love because of her.”

Jasper nodded, a curious look crossing his face. “How old were you when you started your lessons?”

Beau realized what he had said to make Jasper ask that question. Beau wouldn’t have had a captain if he wasn’t already the killer he was known to be. Most people knew that Beau was very young when he was forced to join the military, but no one knew how young. 

“I was young,” Beau replied, shutting off his emotions. He didn’t want Jasper to know just how early Beau had started killing. 

Jasper nodded and for the first time Beau could see that the prince wanted to push the subject. He didn’t push, though. Instead, he turned around and pulled off his clothes. He must not have worn a shirt when he was outside, because his skin had taken on a golden glow he hadn’t had the day before. Even his freckles were more prominent. His pants sat low on his hips, showing off the top of his ass. If Jasper had been any other person, Beau probably would have pursued him for a night of sex Beau would actually want and probably enjoy. 

“Alright, let’s get you out of these clothes,” Jasper said cheerily as he helped Beau stand. He easily slid off Beau’s shorts and set his hands on Beau’s hips. He met Beau’s eyes and smiled softly, squeezing his hips before moving to gently peel off Beau’s bandages.

“You’re lucky you don’t smell too bad,” Beau grumbled, breathing in Jasper’s tangy scent as he fought to keep his face impassive. Jasper’s touch was starting to make Beau’s heart race and he didn’t like it.

“Are you saying you like the way I smell?” Jasper teased as he got them moving to the bathroom. 

“I’m saying you’d have to wash by yourself first if you smelled bad.”

Jasper snorted and helped Beau into the tub. As usual, Jasper washed himself first and then Beau, but instead of drying him off and putting Beau back in bed when they were finished, Jasper set him on a chair. 

“I have something for you,” Jasper said, pulling out a clockwork razor. “You’ve been uncomfortable since you woke up in my room. If you don’t mind, I can help you with…” Jasper motioned to Beau’s body. 

Jasper had seen Beau naked enough to know that Beau shaved all his body hair. It had grown so much in the time he had been here that Beau hated feeling it brush over his skin and catch on his clothes. 

“Yes, please,” Beau breathed.

Jasper went to work, shaving Beau’s chest, groin, legs, and both arms carefully. When he was finished Jasper rinsed the hair from Beau’s body and looked him over.

“You look better without it.”

“I feel better without it,” Beau sighed. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

Jasper smiled and ran a wet hand over Beau’s hair. “Anytime,” he whispered, curling his fingers around a lock of Beau’s hair. He smiled down at Beau and leaned forward, kissing Beau’s forehead. 

Heat suddenly formed in Beau’s chest and his heart stuttered again. Asides from Beth, no one else had kissed him at all and the feel of Jasper’s soft lips on his skin left Beau wanting more. 

Now that Beau was dry, Jasper followed his normal routine by helping beau to his bed and rubbing him down with oil. He brought Beau the book he had chosen off the shelf and sat down at his desk to finish some paperwork his father had left him. It was a comfortable silence that didn’t put Beau on edge and he let himself relax. By now he trusted Japer enough that he could easily fall into a deep sleep while the man was in the room. 

~~~

Jasper dragged himself down the hall towards his bedroom, leaned against his door as the wight in his chest threatened to drag him down. He had been woken early that morning by a nurse who had called him to frantically tell him that his patient that had arrived yesterday had come down with a fever and was going downhill fast. 

Jasper had left in a hurry and immediately rushed Jacob into surgery. I had taken several hours, but Jasper had managed to get Jacob’s fever down and keep him stable. Unfortunately, the infection had destroyed one of his legs and Jasper had to amputate it to keep the infection from spreading. He still wasn’t out of danger and there was a high possibility that the infection had spread to more of his body. 

His trip home was a blur of land and by the time he made it to his bedroom door, Jasper was exhausted and more then a little worried. They had stationed a nurse in Jacob’s room to keep constant watch just in case he started to deteriorate again. Jasper had wanted to stay, but Vestra - the head physician - had sent Jasper home to sleep once he had finished the rest of his rounds. 

Forcing open a door that felt a hundred times heavier, Jasper stumbled into the room. He quickly caught himself on the doorframe and straightened, pausing when his eyes met the Shadow’s. He was holding Jasper’s book of classics- which he seemed to have read through a good chunk of it- and had immediately stopped reading when Jasper walked into the room. 

Jasper gave the Shadow what he hoped was a reassuring smile and stumbled to his bed. With a heavy groan, Jasper dropped face down onto his bed. 

“Are you alright?” the Shadow asked, looking Jasper over. 

“Fine,” Jasper moaned, rolling over so he could look at the Shadow. “My patient is stable, everyone else is doing fine, and all I want to do is curl up next to someone and cuddle.”

A look of confusion flashed across the Shadow’s face. “What’s cuddle?”

Jasper sat up and looked at the Shadow incredulously. It was quickly replaced by anger. The Shadow had been chained and unloved for most of his life of course he wouldn’t know what cuddling was.. “You don’t know what cuddling is?”

“I’ve never heard the word,” the Shadow shrugged. 

Jasper let out an annoyed grunt and forced himself out of bed. “Move over and lay down,” he instructed, pulling of his shirt. 

“Why,” the Shadow demanded, his body tensing when Jasper’s hands moved to his pants. 

Jasper froze at the tense look in the Shadow’s eyes, berating himself for being so impulsive. He moved to the dresser and pulled out a pair of pants. They were old, worn, and extremely comfortable from over washing and Jasper loved sleeping in them. He changed his pants and turned back to the Shadow, who had relaxed a little. 

“All I want to do is show you what cuddling is,” he said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

The Shadow eyed him wearily, but slowly scooted over and laid down. Jasper smiled at the small show of trust and joined the man in the bed. Jasper laid down beside him and rolled onto his side, scooting closer. He looped his left arm around the Shadow’s right one and brought their hands together. Carefully laying his cheek on the Shadow’s shoulder, Jasper snaked his other arm around the Shadow’s waist and pressed against his side. 

The Shadow looked down at him looking confused, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable. 

“This is cuddling, Shadow,” Jasper whispered, closing his eyes and enjoying the feel of having someone in his arms. 

“And what does this lead to?” the Shadow asked carefully, his body tensing as if the question was going to lead to something he would regret. 

Jasper forced his eyes open and glanced up at the man. As much as he would love to fall asleep next to this man, he knew it would be a bad idea. The Shadow was always expecting to get hurt and their close proximity of their bodies made the possibility more real for him. 

“Sleep, mostly,” Jasper replied. “Sometimes kissing if you’re intimate with the person you’re cuddling with. A lot of people cuddle after sex.”

The Shadow let out a derogatory snort and Jasper fell silent. He needed to get up soon or his exhaustion would overwhelm him into falling asleep right there.

Smoothing his hand over the Shadow’s smooth stomach, Jasper pushed himself backwards and tried to get up.

“Where are you going?” the Shadow asked, squeezing their combined hands when Jasper tried to pull his away. 

“I’m going to get some sleep,” Jasper told him, leaning onto his elbow so he could look down at the man.

“I thought that’s what you did when you cuddle?” the Shadow asked, looking unsure as Jasper looked down at him. 

“Normally yes, but you’re not comfortable with me touching you. Why would I make you suffer so I can sleep better?”

A look of shock and confusion crossed over the Shadow’s face. It was the same look he had given Jasper when Jasper had promised him freedom. It was the look Jasper was coming to associate with the shock that someone hadn’t forced the Shadow to do something he didn’t want. 

Jasper tried to move away again, but the Shadow clutched his hand tighter. 

“I wouldn’t mind if we cuddled while you slept.” The words seemed forced, but there was no hint in the Shadow’s eyes that he wasn’t sure if he wanted this. He also hadn’t let go of Jasper’s hand and seemed determined not to let him go. 

“All right,” Jasper nodded, sliding back down onto the bed. 

He pressed himself against the Shadow’s side and laid his cheek on his shoulder. “Wake me if you need to get up, or you want me to move.”

The Shadow nodded jerkily. Jasper didn’t know why the man was forcing himself to do this when he clearly didn’t feel comfortable. Jasper squeezed their joined hands and he let his eyes slide close.

He woke a few hours later to another knock on his door.

“Saints, I’m never going to get any rest,” Jasper huffed.

He looked up at the Shadow, whose eyes were glaring witheringly at the door. His body was much more relaxed, but apparently he was just as unhappy as Jasper was about someone knocking on the door. Jasper shifted, drawing the Shadow’s attention to him. His eyes had turned that beautiful half blue, half brow and if the person on the other side of the door wasn’t so persistent Jasper probably would have continued to stare at them. 

Moving away from the Shadow, Jasper got out of bed and stretched. Before he could take another step, Keegan burst into the room. Jasper’s first instinct was to keep the Shadow from doing anything drastic, so he sat back down and set a hand on the Shadow’s chest.   
The Shadow was rigid under his palm and his eyes were tracking Keegan’s every movement. He had stilled when Jasper had touched him, but he was still alert and ready to strike. 

“What the hells, Keegan?” Jasper demanded.

“You weren’t answering the door and I got worried,” Keegan replied, glaring at the Shadow. 

“I was asleep,” Jasper replied. “You didn’t need to barge in.”

“I just wanted to make sure my prince wasn’t being torn apart by a wild animal,” Keegan hissed, spitting out the word ‘animal.’ 

“Shadow, this is Keegan, he helped me carry you off the field, sneak you into surgery, and then into my room,” Jasper explained, glaring at his best friend. 

“Obviously there was no pleasure helping me,” the Shadow replied, his voice deep. 

“If he had let me, I would have watched the wolves tear you apart,”Keegan growled. 

“Keegan,” Jasper snapped, “what do you want?”

Keegan tore his gaze away from the Shadow and looked at Jasper. “Your father needs to speak to you.”

Jasper frowned and gave the shadow a quick glance that he hoped would keep him from getting out of bed. He quickly dressed himself in something a little more fitting for a prince and returned to the bed to speak to the Shadow quietly. 

“I’ll be back soon,” Jasper whispered, sliding his hand over the Shadow’s arm. It had been the most Jasper had been able to touch the man without him flinching away. 

The Shadow’s eyes met his and Jasper quietly read the question in his eyes. Up until now the Shadow had probably believed that Jasper was the only one who knew he was here and he hadn’t asked. Jasper wasn’t going to use that as an excuse now that the Shadow knew. He should have told him in the beginning. 

“I’m sorry,” Jasper whispered. “I should have told you Kegan knew you were here when you woke up. I promise he’s the only other person though and I can assure you he won’t say anything.”

The Shadow’s lips pressed together into a thin line and he nodded slowly. Jasper knew that was the only response he was going to get, so he squeezed the Shadow’s arm and left with Keegan. 

“What the hells, Jasper?” Keegan growled, grabbing Jasper’s arm. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? He’s the most dangerous killer in the world and you’re just cozying up to him.” 

“He’s not that dangerous,” Jasper grunted. 

“He tried to kill your brother,” Keegan hissed, waving his arms in frustration. 

“Yes, I know.”

“Do you?” Keegan demanded, jerking Jasper to a halt. “Because if you did you wouldn’t be falling asleep in the same bed as him.”

“He had never been cuddled before,” Jasper argued.

“Oh, well that makes perfect sense,” Keegan replied sarcastically. “Next thing you’re going to tell me is that your dick is going to fix him.”

“What? No!” Jasper scoffed, looking at his best friend. “Saints, do people really say things like that?”

Keegan grumbled and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Jasper it’s not safe to get close to him. The Padoleans treated him like a rabid dog. The only thing he knows to do is kill.”

Anger welled in Jasper’s chest at Keegan’s description. No one knew the life the Shadow had and they certainly had no idea about the abuse he had been put through. They all just assumed he was some sort of crazed man who enjoyed killing and the Padoleans had used it to their advantage. 

“That’s not it at all,” Jasper growled, his tone deep.

Keegan’s eyes widened at Jasper’s tone. It wasn’t often Jasper rose his voice and to do it because of the Shadow surprised Keegan even more. 

“That man has been raped repeatedly. There are scars on his body from abuse that I don’t even want to think bout. They purposely burned him to probably force him to submit and obey. When you talk to him about all the people he killed he gets angry. He hates killing so much so that it angers him when you bring it up. He’s not a killer or an animal, Keegan, he’s a victim just trying to do what he needs to to survive.”

Jasper was breathing hard by the time he finished and Keegan was staring at him with eyes even wider then before. 

“Saints, I didn’t think about it like that,” Keegan whispered. 

“No one does,” Jasper grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s the problem; they all see him as a crazed lunatic hell bent on killing the world. No one looks to see what they’ve done to him to make him kill.”

“You still need to be careful, Jasper.”

“I know and I am, but I want him to understand that life can be better for him and I can’t do that if I’m keeping him at arms length and treating him like everyone else.”

“Saints, you are too much of a good man,” Keegan sighed. “Well, I’m still not happy about this, but if you need any help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Jasper nodded, pursing his lips. “You have to be nice to him, though.”

Keegan rolled his eyes an shoved Jasper towards his father’s office. “Just take the offer and go see what your father wants.”

Jasper huffed a laugh and turned, knocking on the door.

~~~

Beau’s mind was reeling long after the prince had left. He had let Jasper into his bed and the man had done nothing but lay next to Beau, hold him, and sleep. No one, including Tegan, had done that before. Granted, Beau’s time with Tegan was quick- mostly because they were afraid of getting caught- it did make Beau wonder what else he had missed out on. At that thought Beau’s fingers absently went to his lips.

The Captain and Beth had always kissed when the Captain came and went and Jasper had said people kissed when they cuddled. It made Beau wonder what other times people kissed.

Beau had never been kissed before. Mostly because the men who fucked him were afraid Beau might bite their tongue off if they tried. Was that the reason Tegan had never kissed him before too?

Beau shook his head. He did’t want to spoil his memories of Tegan with what ifs. But there was something about Jasper lying next to him that Beau liked. It showed that Jasper put his trust in Beau not to hurt him and Beau wanted to cherish that trust. Though Beau wanted to excuse the prince’s trust as stupidity, Jasper’s calm and gentleness had gained him some respect with Beau. 

Beau would even be willing to admit to himself that he had a little trust in Jasper. He was so good at taking everything in stride and figuring out a solution as he went. Maybe that trust meant Beau could open up and let Jasper see a little more of himself. He was still pondering it all when Jasper returned looking grimmer then before. 

“What happened?” Beau asked, tracking Jasper’s movement across the room. 

Jasper sighed and took a seat on Beau’s bed. “The Padoleans are scouring their conquered countries. They are dragging men and women out of their homes and using them to bulk their army.”

“Of course,” Beau muttered. “Sacrifice everyone else along with your own people to fight in this childish war.”

“The Padoleans have had some resistance from the people they are dragging from their homes. There have been attacks on the soldiers that they’ve deployed to the towns and they’ve been forced to send more troops to help subdue the people.”

“Well, you said people would start fighting back when they go tired of all this,” Beau replied. He looked down at Jasper’s hand laying so close to his. 

Jasper looked extremely upset over the news and Beau felt the urge to comfort him. Sliding his hand across the comforter, Beau’s fingers brushed against Jasper’s.

“What else?” Beau asked when Jasper looked up at him.

Jasper sighed and turned his hand, lacing their fingers together. “Even with all the resistance, the Padolean army has grown significantly. My father is worried that they will try to strike soon. We’ve sent messengers out to ask for aid from the neighboring countries.” Jasper’s eyes dropped back to their combined hands. “My father is worried that we will have to take drastic measures to end this war.”

“Drastic measures?” Beau whispered.

“We might have to level the country to end this war,” Jasper explained, sounding guilty.

Beau’s heart sank. A lot of people were going to loose their lives if that happened. Good people who didn’t deserve to die because of petty men in high commanding positions. 

“I’m sorry, Shadow.”

Beau blinked and looked at Jasper, “What for?”

“You have lived a very hard life and there are people you care deeply for in your country. They don’t deserve to die because of this.”

“No, they don’t,” Beau whispered. “But that is the price of war.”

Jasper continued to watch him, the pain in his eyes burning into Beau’s soul. He probably hated that Beau thought that way, but everyone who knew anything about the Padolean Shadow knew that he had been killing for a long time and no one had yet to argue his logic. 

They fell into a comfortable silence, neither of them willing to say anything to break the peace. Jasper still looked as exhausted as he had when he’d returned from the hospital and Beau had the urge to lay down and help him sleep.

Before Beau could suggest they cuddle again, Jasper slid closer to him and set his head on Beau’s shoulder. Beau fought not to tense when Jasper’s cheek touched his skin.

“Have you thought about what you’re going to do once you’ve healed?” Jasper whispered.

Beau frowned and glanced down at Jasper. Was it really fair to talk about his freedom when so many people of his own people were suffering? Beau always believed that he never had the option to say no, but what if he could have been the one to put an end to all this with that one simple word. With all the situations where he and the president were alone, it would have been easy to kill him. Beau probably would have been killed in the process, but it would have been worth it. 

“I’m not going to think about it until it happens,” Beau replied, his thoughts souring his mood. 

Jasper gave a soft sigh and sat back up. He turned so he could look Beau in the eyes and smiled softly. “Then I’m going to have to work hard to make it happen.”


	7. Chapter 7

Rain spattered against Beau’s face, causing him to jerk awake when a crash of thunder rolled across the sky. Fear gripped him so tightly he couldn’t breath and he reached up with a trembling hand to wipe the water off his face. Lighting flashed across the sky and another clap of thunder caused him to jump. 

He rolled away from the open window and met the edge of the bed, where he tumbled to the floor. Pain bit into his shoulder, but he ignored it and scrambled up. He hunched over when the stitches in his side pulled as he scooted backwards, wedging himself between the bedside table and the wall. He pulled is knees up and wrapped his good arm around his legs. It hurt like hell to stay like that, but he wasn’t moving until the rain stopped. 

Movement around the room caught his attention and Beau huddled tighter into his hiding spot. Another flash of lightning illuminated Jasper at the doors to his garden. He jerked the curtains closed, but it didn’t block the next flash of lightning that made Beau’s heart beat uncontrollably. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his hand to his eyes, wishing he could just disappear. 

“Shadow,” Jasper whispered gently.

The table beside Beau was pushed aside and he felt Jasper sit down next to him. 

“I’m fine,” Beau answered, his voice shaky. 

“Clearly you’re not,” Jasper replied. His fingers brushed Beau’s arm and Beau jumped. “Sorry,” Jasper breathed. “I saw you land on your wounded side and I just want to check to make sure your stitches are okay. I’ll only touch you as much as I need to.”

Beau stopped himself from shaking his head immediately. He forced himself to take a slow breath and reminded himself that Jasper was not his father. 

“Okay,” he whispered, shifting so Jasper could take a look. 

A dim light flickered on and Beau squeezed his eyes shut. He dug his nails into the warm wood floor while Jasper peeled back the bandages. Jasper’s hands were gentle, his movements slow as he talked Beau through what he was doing. When Jasper placed the last bandage back into place, he reached up and cupped Beau’s cheek, turning his head. 

“It looks like you may have pulled the stitches a little on the shoulder, but you’ll be fine.” Jasper slid his thumb over Beau’s jaw, causing Beau’s skin to tingle. “Talk to me, Shadow, I want to help.”

“A bandage won’t fix this,” Beau hissed as thunder cracked through the sky. 

“No, it won’t, but talking does help you work through it.”

Beau huffed, forcing back the memories of his father dragging him outside and tying Beau to a post in the rain as punishment for whatever reason his father had come up with that day. The punishments usually lasted a few days and a couple of beatings before Beau was dragged back inside and forced to do whatever he hadn’t wanted to do that put him outside in the first place. As he got older the threat of rain had triggered his panic and when there was a man in his bed, they made sure his father knew that Beau was cowering in the corner instead of doing what they paid him to do. His father made the punishment worse with each passing year and Beau could still taste blood and mud in his mouth whenever the clouds turned grey. 

Jasper’s thumb swept over Beau’s jaw and Beau forced his eyes open. He blinked into the dim light and found Jasper sitting much closer then he had expected. They were so close that it almost felt intimate and it brought up feelings Beau hadn’t felt since he’d been with Tegan. 

“I don’t like the rain,” Beau explained, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them. “I have a lot of bad memories of being in it and they get rally bad when the weather is like this.”

“What do you need me to do?” Jasper pressed gently. 

“Just don’t make me go outside,” Beau said in a rush.

Jasper’s brows creased as a flash of anger passed over his face. “I would never do something so horrible to you,” he promised. “As much as I wish I could take you somewhere where you couldn’t see or hear the rain, I can’t take you out of this room. The best I can do is move you to my bed so you’re further away from the windows.”

“Then where will you sleep?” Beau asked, shivering when the rain pounded harder on the windows. 

“Probably in your bed, unless you want me to cuddle with you all night.”

Beau was silent for a moment as he stared at Jasper. “I don’t know if you’ll get any sleep if you share a bed with me,” he admitted after a moment.

Jasper studied Beau, his eyes lingering on Beau’s face as he searched for any signs that Beau might not have realized the invitation h had just given. When Beau didn’t react to his words, Jasper pushed to his feet. He offered Beau a hand and gently helped him off the floor. Jasper got Beau situated in his bed and crawled in beside him. He laid down beside Beau and set a hand on Beau’s stomach. He adjusted their arms so they were comfortable and pressed his cheek against Beau’s shoulder. Beau shifted a little closer and Jasper slid his leg over Beau’s thigh. 

“Is this okay?” Jasper whispered, sliding his fingers over Beau’s hip. 

“Yeah,” Beau sighed, “but I still don’t know how well you’re going to sleep.”

“If this will help you stay calm I can sacrifice a few hours of sleep.”

“I can’t to that to you,” Beau replied, turning his head so his cheek pressed against Jasper’s forehead. “You have patients you need to see in the morning.”

Jasper shifted, pushing himself up onto his elbows to look down at Beau. He smiled softly and brushed his nose over Beau’s forehead. “I’ve gone to the hospital on a lot less sleep before. I will be fine, it’s you I’m worried about.”

“I don’t like the rain,” Beau repeated, wincing when lightning lit up the room. 

“No, you don’t and a reaction like that doesn’t just appear from a few bad experiences in the rain. Someone did something that caused you to react like this and I’d like to track them down and give them a piece of my mind.”

Beau laughed softly and shook his head. “You’d have to give them a beating to get your point across.”

“Well, then I’ll make up some ridiculous story and send my brother after them,” Jasper replied matter of factly. Beau laughed again and Jasper’s face softened. “I know this is hard for you, but one day, when you’re ready to talk about it, I’ll listen.”

Beau nodded and Jasper laid back down. He held Beau gently, running his thumb over Beau’s hipbone. It wasn’t going to help Beau sleep, but it did help him settle enough that he didn’t flinch as badly when the thunder rolled across the sky. He hoped he could lay still enough for Jasper to get some sleep.

~~~

 

Jasper hummed when he woke to a body next to his. He’d forgotten that he’d brought someone home the night before, which didn’t bode well for another night together, but at least he could make the most of it this morning.

Scooting closer, Jasper nuzzled the warm shoulder his cheek had been pillowed on. “Morning,” he breathed, pressing a light kiss to the man’s shoulder. His hand slid over smooth skin, moving upwards to the man’s chest when his fingers grazed across a bandage. 

Jasper’s eyes flew open and he jerked away from the Shadow. The man was watching him with one blue eyes and one mostly brown with a blue streak in it. 

“I’m sorry,” Jasper said, feeling guilty as all hells that he’d tried to grope the man. “I forgot you were in bed with me.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” the Shadow replied, easing himself into a sitting position.

“I shouldn’t have touched you like that,” Jasper explained.

“You didn’t hurt me.”

“I was groping you,” Jasper exclaimed, causing the Shadow to startle. “No, I didn’t hurt you, but if I had gone any further then I would have done something much worse.”

The shadow shook his head, looking unperturbed. “I’ve been touched like that before.”

“But you didn’t give consent to it,” Jasper snapped. The Shadow’s eyes twitched and he looked away from Jasper. “Shadow,” Jasper whispered, drawing the man’s attention back to him. “I will only ever touch you like that when you give me permission to do so. I will never try to grope you unless you want me to. Do you understand?”

The Shadow nodded, flinching when thunder rolled overhead. Guilt flooded Jasper again, he had forgotten about the Shadow’s reaction to the rain. Taking the man’s hand, Jasper squeezed it gently and helped the Shadow lay back down. He glanced at the ticking clock on his night stand, hoping he might have a little more time to comfort the Shadow again. 

It was early, but not so early that it would raise question if Jasper showed up at the hospital now. If he went in early he could get his rounds done and get back to the Shadow by late afternoon. The rain wasn’t heavy at the moment and hopefully the worst of it would wait until tonight. Jasper didn’t want the Shadow to have another panic attack while Jasper was at work. 

“I’m going to have to leave for the hospital in a little bit, will you be alright alone for a few hours?” Jasper asked softly. 

The shadow’s head snapped around and Jasper didn’t miss the flash of fear that crossed his face. 

“Is the hospital close?” he asked in a quiet breath.

“About twenty minutes,” Jasper replied. 

The fear in the Shadow’s eyes became more prominent and Jasper realized the Shadow wasn’t afraid of just himself going outside, but Jasper too. 

“I always take one of the carriages to the hospital,” Jasper explained. “I’ll be inside where it’s warm and dry the whole time. As for you, I want you to stay in my bed, away from the windows. I will warn you though, it’s our rainy month so it’s possible this could go on for a few days.”

The Shadow shuddered and took a deep breath. “I’ll be alright,” he replied and Jasper wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince. 

Jasper nodded and squeezed the Shadow’s hand again. “If you need anything don’t hesitate to ask Athen. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve taken care of all my other patients.”

“What about your military training?”

Jasper smirked, “I’ll send a message to my brother making something up about how I won’t be there today. He already knows I won’t come in this weather and he enjoys giving me a hard time about it.”

“Spoiled,” the Shadow said, huffing out a laugh.

“Be nice,” Jasper scolded playfully. The banter seemed to ease some of the Shadow’s tension and he relaxed into the bed. Jasper leaned over him and slid his fingers over the Shadow’s jaw. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” 

“Take your time,” the Shadow replied with a hint of weariness in his tone. “I’m not the only person you need to take care of and I don’t want you worrying about me when you should be worrying about them.”

At the Shadow’s words, Jasper relented and got out of bed. He dressed and gave the Shadow one last goodbye before heading to the carriage house. He knew Athen would contact him if anything, but that still didn’t stop Jasper from worrying. But the Shadow was right, Jasper did have other patients and he needed to worry about them too. The Shadow was safe in Jasper’s room and with some luck he might even get some more sleep. 

The trip to the hospital was wet and bouncy and Jasper was thankful no one else was traveling with him. Time alone in the carriage gave Jasper time to think about ways to help the Shadow, along with think up every scenario possible as to why the man would have a panic attack because of the rain. 

By the time Jasper arrived at the hospital, he had come up with several different types of torture the Shadow could have been put through to make him fear the rain. Some of them were so bad that Jasper almost had to stop the carriage to throw up. He made it up to the offices without having to stop, pushing his imagination back before it drove him crazy. Thankfully it was still too early for most of the other doctors to be here so no one saw Jasper’s sickened pale face. 

“Kasparas,” Vestra, the head doctor, called when Jasper passed his room. 

Jasper flinched, he hated his royal name and he hated that his uncle used it on a regular basis. He thought about ignoring his uncle’s call, but decided against it and stepped into his uncle’s office, pushing the door closed. Vestra watched him quietly as Jasper crossed the room and took a seat. All of the offices were the same, equipped with a wooden desk, a few chairs and several book cases filled with medical books. Vetra’s office also had the addition of every patient’s medical file and the files of the staff tucked away in an old filing cabinet.  
Vestra was silent as he looked Jasper over, stapling his fingers together as the tension grew. It was a tactic Vestra used very well to intimidate the doctors. Luckily, Frederic had the same stare and Jasper had enough experience with it that the look didn’t make him crack. 

Jasper returned the stare, noting the few differences between Vestra and his father. Vestra was three years older then the king and he was lucky enough to have kept his light brown hair from greying yet. His face, however, was marred with endless wrinkles, formed from the sour look he always had on his face. His eyes were just as hard, never holding the kindness the King’s gaze alway had. They were two very different men and their younger brother was a mash of the two of them. 

“I’ve been going over the stock reports and I’ve noticed that your name is on several of them and you’ve been taking out more then enough supplies for your patients.”

“I took out the supplies I needed to fill my field bag,” Jasper explained. 

“But you did not fill out the correct paperwork to request it,” Vestra replied sternly. “Just because you are a prince doesn’t mean you can disregard the rules and take whatever you want. There are rules that you need to follow or you will be punished.”

“Yes, sir,” Jasper whispered. His uncle had given him the same speech many times over the years. Most of the time Jasper was very good at following the rules and procedures for the hospital, but he and no problem breaking them to keep the Shadow safe.

“I also spoke to your father and Fridhris about your lack of focus. You’ve been very distracted lately and they’re worried it’s because of the amount of work you’ve been taking on lately. They were worried, but I am not. You are a prince, Kasparas and you have duties you must fulfill for your kingdom and for your people. If you can’t handle the workload now, then how will you deal with it once your father steps down?”

“It’s not the workload, I’m handling that just fine,” Jasper told him, tired of his uncle repeating the same demeaning speech every time they spoke. 

“Good,” Vestra grunted. “I don’t want to hear excuses, I want to see results. No more distractions and no more talk of you being unable to handle the workload. You have a young man whose fighting for his life because someone wasn’t doing their job, don’t let him loose it because you can’t do yours.”

“Yes, sir,” Jasper replied, trying not to flinch at his uncle’s harsh words. 

Vestra nodded and dismissed Jasper with a wave. Jasper’s uncle had always been hard on him, but now with the war looming over the country’s head, Vestra had become ruthless. Jasper knew it wasn’t just him Vestra was hard on, but using Jasper’s status made everything sting just a little more. 

Jasper made it to his office without another interruption and he flipped on his light, groaning at the notes, files, and papers scattered everywhere. He moved around a tower of books beside his desk and dropped into his chair. The old leather creaked with his weight and Jasper leaned back into it. He’d been doing as much research as he could to help Jacob, his amputee patient, get better. His fever wasn’t going down and he had yet to wake up. Thankfully his fever hadn’t spiked again, but it was only time before it happened again. The biggest problem Jasper was facing now was that Jacob was falling into dangerous territory where the fever would start to cause brain damage. If Jasper didn’t find something soon, the man would certainly loose his life. 

An hour into his paperwork a nurse knocked on his door to tell him the Jacob’s family had arrived and they wished to speak to Jasper. Steeling himself for the conversation he dreaded having, Jasper stood, grabbed his coat and followed the nurse out the door. 

Jasper’s plan to finish his rounds early ended abruptly when Jacob crashed again a few minutes after Jasper introduced himself to Jacob’s family. Once Jasper managed to get the man stable again, he ran more tests and found that the infection was spreading to his internal organs. After telling this to the family and giving them options, Jasper was unhappy to hear they wanted him to perform a surgery to remove the organs that had been affected. 

It was a risky surgery and there was a low chance of it helping. If anything, it might make things worse, but the family was desperate and they were willing to try anything. Jasper had tried to talk them out of the procedure, but they continued to insist and Vestra had to be called. When the family still insisted Vestra agreed to allow the surgery. 

Once they finished explaining the procedure, Vestra sent Jasper home for the day. Vestra might be tough on his nephew, but he knew when Jasper had been pushed too hard and knew better then to force him to keep going.

So Jasper trudged out to his carriage with a heavy heart and dragged himself into the seat. He rubbed a hand over his face as he got the carriage moving, glancing out the window to find it was early evening. The rain had also started to come down harder and Jasper hoped the Shadow was doing alright. 

Soon the tall buildings of the city gave way to the open fields of the countryside and Jasper drew in a deep breath. He always felt so claustrophobic in the city, which made him even more thankful that his father had decided to take up residency in one of the royal countryside homes instead of the cramped town house his grandfather used to live in. 

The house in the city was still used for meeting when the king had to meet with several other leaders at once, but most of the rooms had been converted into offices for other diplomats. 

As he traveled closer to home, the rain began to come down harder and the carriage slid on the muddy road. The rain pelted on the window, blurring the world outside, but Jasper was still able to notice movement in one of the freshly mowed fields. He stopped the carriage and opened the door, hoping to offer a ride. Two boys were playing in the field, their clothing soaked as they chased after what looked like a filled sack. 

Grabbing his waxed jacket, Jasper climbed out of the carriage and made his way to the two boys. Despite the added layer, the rain soaked into his clothes quickly, drenching him in the few feet he had to walk. He was about to tell the boys to go home when the older of the two kicked the sack hard and Jasper heard a distinct yelp as the sack went flying through the air. He hurried forward and grabbed the younger boys arm, jerking him back before he could kick the sack again. He easily grabbed the older boy by the collar, holding onto them firmly so they wouldn’t run away. 

“What’s in the sac?” Jasper demanded. 

“None of your business,” the older boy spat, trying and failing to jerk out of Jasper’s grip.

“Tell me,” Jasper growled, shaking the two of them.

“Just some pups we found in the barn,” the younger boy answered. “They got no ma and pops told us to get rid of them.”

“So you decide to tie them up in a bag and kick them around for fun?” Jasper demanded. 

“They were gonna’ die anyway,” the younger boy replied. 

“They are just puppies, they don’t deserve this kind of treatment,” Jasper snapped, shaking the boys harder. 

“What do you care what we do on our property,” the older boy hissed. 

Jasper opened his mouth to answer when an officer’s carriage pulled up behind Jasper’s carriage. A human and an automaton office climbed out, hurrying over to them in the soaking rain. 

“Is there a problem, your highness?” the human office asked. 

The two boys paled and shared a look as Jasper shoved them towards the officers. “They were kicking around a sack with puppies in it,” Jasper explained, moving towards the bag and kneeling down. 

The automaton officer drew closer as Jasper untied the bag. There were four puppies total and Jasper pulled them out of the bag and inspected them carefully. Of the first three, only one had what looked like a broken leg and Jasper would have to look at it closer when he got back to the carriage. He tucked each of them into one of the inner pockets of his jacket in hopes of keeping them warm. Jasper’s heart clenched when he saw that the fourth puppy wasn’t moving. He gently ran his hand over the puppies body, swallowing a sob when the poor thing’s chest collapsed under the light touch. 

The officer who had been looking over Jasper’s shoulder turned to the boys. “This is animal abuse,” he said to them. “We’re going to have to take you to the station for this.” He turned back to Jasper, his water proof suit spraying water everywhere as he turned. “We’ll need to take the deceased puppy with us for evidence, but we’ll leave the others in your care. Do you mind coming back to the carriage with us so we can take a statement? There is medical supplies in the carriage if the other pups need it.”

Jasper nodded, thanking the officers. He followed them back to the carriage where the officers pulled up one of the sides of their carriage to give them a little more cover from the rain.

While Jasper gave his statement he inspected the puppy with the bad leg. It was definitely broken, but it was an easy fix. He used the officer’s medical supplies to splint and bandage the leg. Setting her on the floor of the carriage, Jasper made a makeshift sling and looped it over his neck. He picked the puppy up again and tucked her into the sling. He looked over the other two puppies, noting that one was a female and the other a male before placing them in the sling with their sister. He zipped his soaked jacket back up and cradled the sling to give it more support.

By now the two boys were realizing that they were in more trouble then they first thought and they had started begging the officers not to call their parents. Apparently the story they had told Jasper about the puppies wasn’t the truth. He spent a few minutes lecturing to the two of them about lying and hurting animals, making sure they understood that this kind of behavior was unacceptable. By the time Jasper was finished both boys were hanging their heads and the younger one had started crying. 

The officers assured Jasper that they wouldn’t do anything but give the boys another talking to and call their parents. From what it looked like, that would be all the two would need to never do this again. Jasper thanked the officers and returned to his own carriage. He pulled out a towel from underneath the bench and scrubbed his hair once he got the carriage moving again. 

The Shadow was not going to be happy when he saw Jasper like this, especially after Jasper promised him he would stay warm and dry.  
~~~

Beau sat staring at Keegan, his lips pressed into a thin line as the silence between them grew. He expected this meeting to happen after they had first met, but their conversation had surprised him. Instead of hostility, Keegan was mostly concerned. He didn’t hide that he didn’t trust Beau and he certainly promised to do everything in his power to keep Jasper safe; bud he had also surprised Beau by asking about his recovery. He’d even asked if Jasper was treating Beau well. 

Beau had answered truthfully to all of it and now they were at a stand still with nothing more to say and Keegan unwilling to leave just yet. Beau wondered if maybe Keegan was just as worried as he was that Beau wasn’t back yet. 

It was already dark outside and the rain had picked up significantly. Even Athen hadn’t been able to get ahold of Jasper to let the prince know that Beau had been a good by and stayed in bed. Between that and the pouring rain outside, Beau was beginning to fear that the prince had gotten stuck somewhere. 

Keegan shifted his weight and opened his mouth to speak when the bedroom door opened. Jasper froze when he spotted Keegan and Beau’s heart rate ratcheted up at the sight of Jasper’s dripping wet clothes. Had the prince been attacked? Robbed? Injured? All these questions flew through his mind as Jasper moved into the room. 

In a blink Jasper was between Keegan and Beau, using his body to shield Beau from the soldier. 

“What’s going on?” Jasper asked in a low voice. It was a tone Beau had never heard from the prince before and it sent a shiver up his spine. 

“We were just talking,” Keegan replied sourly.

“Taking or threatening?” Jasper snapped.

“Just talking,” Beau cut in, his voice slightly choked at the fear welling up inside him at the sight of Jasper. 

Jasper glanced behind him, drops of rain flinging off the ends of his hair as he did so. His face morphed into a look of guilt as he looked Beau over. “And that’s all?”

Beau nodded, bunching the sheets in his hand. He had a painful urge to get up and go to Jasper. Ask him what happened and help dry him off. He was surprised at how strong the urge to care for Jasper was and he hated that he was stuck in this bed waiting while Jasper and Keegan talked. 

His panic rose as he watched water droplets drip off Jasper’s coat. He spotted something that looked like a makeshift bandage around Jasper’s neck and his panic intensified. Both of Jasper’s arms were hanging at his sides, which meant Jasper probably had an injury under his jacket. Could someone have hit him, maybe broken a rib or two? Beau needed to find out soon before he lost his mind.  
Beau’s heart twisted in his chest when Jasper slowly reached out and touched Keegan’s arm. It had been a deliberately slow movement, which mean Jasper was trying to hide an injury. 

Jasper and Keegan exchanged a few more words before Keegan finally left. He was careful to unbutton his jacket, revealing that the sling wasn’t wrapped around his chest. There was something obviously in it, but it wasn’t there because Jasper was hurt. 

Beau breathed a relieved sigh as Jasper instructed Athen to start a bath as he made his way to the bed. 

“You’re all wet,” Beau blurted when Jasper reached the bed. He scooted over slowly so he could touch Jasper’s arm. 

“I know,” Jasper replied, catching Beau’s hand in his hand holding it gently. “I’m very sorry I broke my promise, but I had a good reason.”

Jasper’s hand disappeared into the sling and he pulled out grumbling puppy. 

Beau’s eyes widened when Jasper set the puppy on the bed and pulled out another. 

“Those are puppies,” he breathed. “I’ve never seen one up close before.”

“Really?” Jasper asked, setting the puppy with the splinted leg on the bed and picking up the other again. “Would you like to hold one?”

Beau immediately recoiled and shook his head vigorously. “No, I can’t.”

“Why not?” Jasper asked, looking down at the puppy in his hand.

“Because I’m dangerous,” Beau snapped. “I can touch fragile things. I’d probably kill it in a second.”

Jasper frowned and laid the puppy back on the bed. He stripped out of his wet clothes and joined Beau. 

“You’re not going to hut them,” Jasper whispered, scooping up the puppy.

He slid closer to Beau slid his arm under Beau’s. He set the puppy gently in Beau’s arm, helping him cradle the puppy unto he got used to holding it. 

“See,” Jasper smiled, “I told you it was fine.”

“I’ve never held a puppy before,” Beau breathed, using his left hand to gently stroke the puppies head. “I’d always wanted a dog, but everyone used to tell me I was to rough to have one.”

“You’re not rough,” Jasper sighed, sliding a hand over Beau’s cheek. 

Beau nodded and looked up into Jasper’s eyes. “Where did you get them?”

Jasper told him about the boys in the field using the puppies as a kicking ball and how Jasper had stopped them. There had originally been three but Jasper had given one to his brother when Frederic spotted him in the hall. The puppy Jasper was holding had a broken leg, but she didn’t seemed annoyed by it as she wiggled in Jasper’s arms. Jasper set her on his leg and she immediately fell asleep. 

“Gods some people are disgusting,” Beau growled, stroking the puppy’s soft fur. 

“Yes, they can be, but you’re not one of them,” Jasper replied, sliding his hand into Beau’s hair. 

Beau looked up at him, his nose brushing Jasper’s cheek. How had they gotten so close? Jasper’s eyes locked onto his and Beau couldn’t stop his heart from thumping in his chest. Emotions bloomed in his chest and Beau scrambled to find a way to stop them.

“If you think that, you’re still just as stupid as you were when we first met.”

Jasper huffed out a laugh, but instead of pulling away, he moved closer. Their lips brushed lightly and Beau sucked in a breath. Jasper made a surprised noise at the back of his throat and pulled back. Disappointment immediately flooded Beau and he unconsciously reached for the prince. The puppy in his arms let out a frustrated whine when she toppled into Beau’s lap.

Jasper quickly grabbed her and Beau scooted away. 

“See,” he said, his voice rising. “I told you I couldn’t hold a puppy. I told you I was rough.”

“Stop, it was an accident.”

“No,” Beau recoiled when Jasper tried to hand him the puppy again. “I’m a monster.”

Jasper set the puppies back on the bed and got on is knees. He crawled towards Beau and slid his fingers back into his hair. “You’re not a monster. This was my fault, I shouldn’t have done what I did.”

Beau shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut when Jasper cupped his face in his hands.

“Shadow.”

“Beau,” Beau burst out, flinching at the name Jasper had been using. “My name is Beau.”

“Beau,” Jasper breathed, sliding his nose down Beau’s cheek. “Just breathe, everything is going to be alright. You didn’t hurt her and she’s not upset. You did nothing wrong. I shouldn’t be trying to kiss you.”

“Without my consent?” Beau asked, blinking his eyes open. 

“Yes, that’s one reason.”

“Then I give it,” Beau breathed. “I know you won’t push me and I know you’ll back off if you go to far. You’re not like me, you are too kind to hurt someone.”

“You are kind too, Beau,” Jasper sighed, pressing their foreheads together. “A monster wouldn’t be worried that he hurt someone. That’s not you, that’s what people made you think you were.”

Beau sighed, he didn’t know how to get Jasper to understand. “You should take care of yourself,” Beau said instead. He curled his fingers around a lock of the prince’s wet hair. “Go get warm.”

Jasper smiled that warm, gentle smile Beau liked to see. “Thank you, for caring about me.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, I know it's been a long ass time since I updated. Between NANO, the holidays and then I've been terribly sick for the last two weeks I have been down for the count. 
> 
> Unfortunately I have some more bad news. I have to have surgery on my left had, which is my dominant hand. If you've read my other stories you know I had surgery on my right hand. I had a bad fall off a horse again and I've done something to my tendons. It doesn't hurt to much as my wrist locks up because the tendon gets stuck.
> 
> I shouldn't be out for long, but because it's my dominant hand I don't know how it will affect typing and so on. I have tried to speak to text programs, but they don't work well.
> 
> I'm hoping to get another chapter up before my surgery, but if I don't, I promise I'll keep working on it and post once I'm healed. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone for your support and patience.

Jasper clutched is medical bag to his chest as he left the interior of the hospital. He paused to welcome the warm sun that had been absent for the last week and closed his eyes. He tilted his head back to feel the warm rays on his face and to force away the tears that were threatening to fall. Taking a deep breath he forced himself to move on before he lost his composure in front of the people entering and exiting the hospital. 

Climbing into his carriage, Jasper rubbed a hand over his face and got the carriage moving. He had spent a long day in surgery, only to loose the man he had been trying to save on the table. Everyone had known the surgery was going to be risky, but having someone crash half way through a procedure was still a shock regardless and having to explain to the family that the procedure was a failure all together made everything much worse. 

Jasper had always taken the death of a patient hard, but this one seemed worse, especially since the man had already been through so much. If they had just taken the leg in the first place…

Jasper shook his head, he wasn’t going to change anything now and there was no use getting angry about things that already happened. He was going to need some space, though. Normally, Jasper would spend a few hours secluded in his room, mourning the loss and replaying everything, making sure he had made the right decisions.

Unfortunately, with Beau waiting for him in his room, Jasper wouldn’t be able to get some alone time until later. He was sure Beau wouldn’t want to see how upset Jasper was over a death, considering Beau had seen it more than enough to be used to it. 

When Jasper arrived home, he avoided the hallways where people would want to stop and speak with him and quickly made his way to his room. He paused outside his door, his breath ragged and his eyes filled with tears. He wiped a hand over his face, forced his breathing to even out. Maybe he should just find an empty room to fall apart in?

Jasper shook his head and screwed up his face. Beau was a patient too and he deserved Jasper’s attention just as much as anyone else did. He took another breath, composed himself and opened the door.

He found Beau sitting on the floor near the bed, one puppy asleep in his lap and another puppy wiggling around the floor as she chased Beau’s fingers. Beau laughed as the puppy yipped at him, sliding on the tile floor to change her direction.

“How did you manage to get on the floor?” Jasper asked, setting down his medical bag and kneeling Next to Beau. He reached for the active puppy and scooped her up in his hand. She wiggled around, grumbling when Jasper pulled her to his chest. 

“Trust me, it took a lot longer then I want to admit to get on the floor,” Beau replied, eyeing Jasper’s medical bag. “What’s in there?”

“Mostly vaccinations,” Jasper explained, setting the puppy in the floor where she took off across the floor. “When I first brought you here your body was too compromised for me to give them to you. Now that you’re better, I can give them. It’s also time to take your stitches out.”

Beau’s head jerked up a Jasper’s words, but he paused when he met Jasper’s eyes. Could he see something there? Jasper tried to cover up whatever emotion Beau was seeing by putting on his best smile. 

“Something’s wrong,” Beau said in a concerned tone.

“No, nothing is wrong,” Jasper said quickly. “Taking your stitches out is a good thing.”

“Not with me,” Beau shook his head. “Something happened to you and you’re upset.”

“I’m not upset,”Jasper replied, pushing to his feet. “Come on, let’s get your stitches out.”

Beau’s hand shot out and clamped around Jasper’s wrist when Jasper tried to move away. The touch caused Jasper’s breath to catch and his heart to race. He was glade he was facing away from Beau, because he was sure Beau would easily read the look on his face. 

Saints why did this man affect him so much?

“Jasper,” Beau grunted. There was a slight pause and Beau cleared his throat. 

Jasper glanced back at him to find Beau looking a little off balance himself. 

“What happened,” Beau finally asked, attempting a soft tone that sounded more threatening than anything. 

If Jasper wasn’t used to the way Beau talked, he probably would have fled the room in terror. 

“What happened isn’t important. What is important is getting those stitches out.”

“It’s obviously important to you,” Beau replied, tugging at Jasper’s wrist until he turned around. He forced Jasper to kneel next to him. “You are hurting and I want to know why.”  
Jasper cocked his head, his eyes moving over Beau’s face. Beau was trying to be supportive and Jasper didn’t want to brush it off. 

“Do you remember the man whose leg I had to amputate?” Jasper waited for Beau to nod. “His family had decided to try an experimental surgery to remove parts of his body that the infection had spread to. We pushed them to understand the risks, to understand that even though he was stable enough to operate on, there might be a possibility he wouldn’t survive. They persisted and we went forward with the surgery. I had just removed the infected kidney when his pressure dropped rapidly. We tried to get him stable again, but his body just couldn’t handle it anymore.” Jasper paused at the memory of people scrambling around the operating room. He looked away from Beau and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing back the memory. 

“Jasper,” Beau whispered, tugging Jasper’s arm until he was forced to slide closer. Beau released his hold on Jasper’s wrist and slid his fingers in Jasper’s hair, pulling his head down so their cheeks pressed together. 

“I’m sorry,’ Jasper whimpered as he slid his arms around Beau’s neck. “I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

Beau hushed him and turned his head so his nose drifted over Jasper’s cheek. 

“I envy you,” Beau said after a few minutes of silence. “You still have the normal part of you that cares about people. The part that mourned when someone dies. That part of me died years ago when they trained me to kill.”

“That part still exists in you, Beau,” Jasper breathed. “If it didn’t, you wouldn’t have helped that family and you wouldn’t be upset about the possibility of your entire country being decimated because your president wants to control the world.”

Beau nodded, sliding his nose over Jasper’s cheek again. “I care about you too,” he said in the barest of whispers.

The corners of Jasper’s mouth quirked and he turned his head, capturing Beau’s mouth in a quick kiss. 

When he pulled away, Beau was staring at him in surprise, but Jasper could see the slight hint of pleasure that crossed his face. Jasper’s own lips tingled from the contact and he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. His heart was galloping in his chest, acting like it was thrilled Jasper had finally taken the leap, even though his brain was telling him he was an idiot.   
His eyes drifted over Beau’s face to see what his reaction was, but they didn’t get any further then his lips. Beau’s lips were slightly parted and he had the urge to lean forward and kiss them again. Fortunately, his brain reminded him about Beau’s stitches and he tore his eyes away from the man’s lips. 

“I-I should get those stitches out,” Jasper said in a rush. 

Disappointment flashed across Beau’s face, but Jasper ignored it and stood. He quickly collected the puppies and put them back in their bed, returning to Beau to help him off the floor. Jasper grabbed his medical bag as Beau moved to the bed, setting it next to Beau and peeling off the bandages. 

He took his time clipping the stitches, pulling them out and inspecting the skin as he went. Beau had healed better then Jasper had expected, especially since he was so malnourished at the start. 

“You’re going to have some scar tissue we’ll have to work on breaking up so it doesn’t impede your movements,” Jasper explained as he rubbed some oil over the skin. “You’re going to have to take it slow too, if you push yourself to hard to fast you’ll end up re-injuring yourself.”

Jasper stretched Beau’s arm, probing his shoulder to make sure there weren’t any other issue.”

Will I be okay to travel?” Beau asked sounding hopeful.

“Travel?” Jasper asked, looking as Beau in confusion.

He quickly realized that Beau was expecting to leave for his new home now that his stitches were out. When Jasper didn’t immediately answer, Beau’s look of hope morphed into one of concern. 

“You’re still healing, Beau,” Jasper said softly. “I can’t in good conscience let you leave knowing you don’t have full use of your arm yet. You need therapy to strengthen the healing muscles before you leave.”

A look of anger flashed across Beau’s face before he closed off all emotion, facing Jasper with the same cold stare he had worn when they first met. “This isn’t the first time I’ve needed stitches,” Beau growled. “I didn’t have therapy back then and I was fine.”

“Maybe so, but I can not let you leave knowing you still haven’t fully recovered.”

“You promised I would be free when I was better,” Beau accused. 

Jasper forced himself not to roll his eyes. Beau wasn’t some egotistical soldier who didn’t think he needed to be babied with therapy. He was an abuse survivor who was used to being promised things to get him to obey and then never earning what was promised. That was exactly what Beau thought Jasper was doing to him right now. 

“I am still keeping that promise, Beau,” Jasper said gently. “But I said when you are better, meaning that you are able to function like you could before you were hurt. I’m not trying to betray you, this is something I do with all my patients. Once your range of motion is better, then we can talk about traveling.”

Beau snorted and looked down at his healing arm. He attempted to lift his arm, but he was only able to lift it slightly before the pain became too much. He let the appendage drop back onto the bed and let out a frustrated huff of breath. 

“Fine,” Beau growled angrily. 

“I know the waiting can be tough,” Jasper whispered, reaching for Beau, “but it will all be wo-”

A knock at the cut off his sentence and Jasper cursed. He brushed his finger over Beau’s jaw and slid off the bed. He waited until Beau was out of sight before jerking open the door.  
“My Lord,” a young guard said, bowing low. “The King requests your immediate presence in his office. He said not to worry about changing, just to come at once.”

Jasper nodded curtly and quickly glanced at Beau before stepping out of his room. Beau still didn’t look happy about their conversation, but Jasper was certain the man would still be there when he got back. 

Jasper followed the guard down to his father’s office, taking note of Keegan’s rigid body standing just outside the door. Keegan’s face was set in a scowl and he looked like he was ready to jump into battle at any moment. The sight of his friend so tense sent a bolt of worry through Jasper. Whatever was going on in the king’s office was troubling. 

Jasper didn’t pause to knock. He merely pushed the door open and stepped inside, preparing himself for whatever he came face to face with. 

His father was sitting in the chair behind his desk, his face calm while he listened to the man talking. Jasper recognized Captain Henry Cowel immediately. They had first met when Jasper had traveled to Padolea and the man had been introduced as the leader of Beau’s unit. 

He studied the two men for a moment. Whatever they were discussing, it didn’t seem like they were talking about military topics. What other reason the Captain was here, Jasper didn’t know. 

The King paused when he spotted his son and excused himself from the conversation. It was obvious Vestra had already contacted Jasper’s father about the death of Jasper’s patient. His father gave him a melancholy smile as he approached and wrapped his son up in a tight hug. 

“You did everything you could for him,” Jasper’s father whispered. 

“Thanks, dad,” Jasper breathed, returning the hug. The pain of loss and the anger Beau was feeling towards him flooded him again and he had to take several slow breaths to stay calm. 

The King pulled back and patted his son’s shoulder. Across the room, the Captain watched them with a gentle smile. 

“Jasper, I’m sure you remember Captain Henry Cowel from our trip to Padolea and maybe once more on the battle field.” 

“It is good to see you again, your highness,” Henry said, bowing respectfully. 

“He is here in search of answers about the missing Shadow,” the King explained. 

His Padolean accent was much deeper then Beau’s. His skin was also a deeper brown compared to Beau’s olive skin and the Captain had greyed much more since the last time Jasper had seen him. The biggest change was his left arm and leg had been replaced with metal and clockwork parts. 

“Shadow?” Jasper said uneasily. Did the Padolean’s know they had Beau? How had they found out?

“Yes, I’m afraid I was rendered unconscious that day and I’ve only just recently recovered from my injuries. I also just learned that they left him on the field that day and I was hoping I might still have a chance to find his body. I would have never left him on the field that day if I was conscious and I want to take him home and give him a proper burial.”

“And you thought coming to our kingdom would help you get answers?” Jasper asked incredulously.

The Captain chuckled and shook his head. “I had requested for permission to visit family outside of the city and used my travel pass to search for him. I returned to the field to search for clues and ended up wandering into Arabendian territory. I was found by a group of soldiers patrolling and they brought me here.”

Jasper glanced at his father, who was watching the Captain quietly. When he noticed that Jasper was watching him, he glanced at his son and winked. “One of the field medics said they saw you heading up the hill where the Shadow was and I was hoping you could give us a little information about that day.”

Jasper eyes his father for a moment. If the captain was suspected of being a spy then he would have been locked up; so that meant the King believed what he was saying. It was obvious the man wanted to find Beau, the sorrow and pain in his eyes was telling enough. Jasper just wasn’t sure exactly what to tell him, so he decided to omit everything. 

“I did go up the hill,” Jasper started, feeling slightly guilty about the lie he was going to tell. “But the body was already gone and there was no sign of who might have taken him.”

The Captain’s face crumpled into utter devastation and he looked away from father and son. “Then he is lost forever,” he whispered. 

Jasper’s heart clenched at the words and he fought not to blurt that Beau was alive and in this very house. There was still a part of him that questioned the Captain’s loyalty, Jasper could tell the man’s grief was genuine. If he was lying, he did a damn convincing job of it and Henry didn’t seem like the kind of person that would deceive Jasper or his father for power or information over them. 

“I’m sorry we could not be of more assistance,” the King said softly. He moved towards Henry and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. 

“I knew it would be near impossible after so long,” the Captain replied sorrowfully. “My wife will be devastated to know that we will have to mark an empty grave for him.” Henry glanced between Jasper and his father. “I know what you think of him, but I can promise you that he was a good boy. He didn’t deserve anything his father or his country put him through.”

Jasper was startled by the mention of Beau’s father. Beau had never said anything about the man and Jasper had just assumed the military had taken Beau and turned him into what he was. Maybe his father was part of it, or maybe the reason Beau had been trained to kill so young was because of his father’s abuse. Questions filled Jasper’s head and he filed them away to ask Beau when the time was right. 

“I believe your Shadow did what he had to in order to survive,” the King replied gently. “You have had a trying day, the least I can do is give you some supper and a bed to rest for the night.”

“Thank you, but I don’t think your other son, or many others will approve of me staying.”

“You are in no shape to travel, Henry. I will tell the guards not to spread the news around that you are here and I will have a talk with Frederic.” 

The King moved away from Henry and pressed a button to call fro one of the guards. He instructed the man to take Henry to one of the guest rooms and told him not to speak a word of the Captain’s presence. 

Henry thanked the King agin and followed the guard out. Jasper stood quietly, watching the door before turning back to his father. “Do you think that’s all he’s here for?” 

Jasper’s father watched him for a moment. “You tell me what you think and I will tell you what I believe.”

Jasper took a moment to think, leaning against his father’s desk. “I think he is genuinely looking for the Padolean Shadow, but stumbling into our territory without knowing it seems suspicious.”

“Oh, he knew he was stepping into out lands, he just didn’t want us to believe he was,” the King replied, stroking his chin. 

Jasper nodded, watching his father. “I don’t think he has an ulterior motive, but he is a Padolean and we are currently at war with them.”

The King nodded and went to his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. “I received this a week ago,” he said, handing the paper to Jasper. 

It was a short letter from the Captain, asking for assistance in finding the Shadow. It also stated that if the Arabendian people had Beau, that his body be returned for proper burial. It went on to talk about respecting the dead and so on. 

“So he’s been inquiring about the Shadow for a while?”

“I sent him a letter stating that we would never do such a terrible thing to anyone and I assured the Captain that we did not have the body.”

“So you think he’s telling the truth?” Jasper asked. “That he is only here to find the Shadow?”

“I do, but that isn’t going to stop me from putting a guard at your door. When you leave, have Keegan escort you to your room. He and Taymar will escort you while the Captain is here. I don’t believe the man has any malicious intent, but I don’t want to put my trust in him. The automatons will be on high alert also.”

Jasper pursed his lips and nodded. He was going to have to do some more reprogramming so Athen didn’t suddenly alert the castle to Beau’s presence. 

“Jasper?” the King called when Jasper turned to leave. He waited until Jasper turned around and there eyes met. The King was silent for a moment, seeming to find the words he wanted to say. “If there is something you think the Captain or anyone else is hiding in this castle, you know you can tell me.”

“Do you think someone is hiding something, Father?” Jasper asked, keeping his expression neutral. 

“I should hope not, but if someone was, I would hope that they know they can come to me without worrying about consequences.”

Jasper’s hear leapt and he waited a few tense seconds for his father to say something more. When the King continued to stare at him silently Jasper finally shook his head. “If I learn something, I will assure whoever is keeping the secret that they can come to you.”

The King studied his youngest son for a long moment, the look in his eyes telling Jasper he knew something. 

“I would like to see these puppies you saved, the ones you are hiding in your room,” he finally said after a tense moment.

Jasper thought his heart was going to fly out of his chest with relief. “They are still recovering, but I promise once they are better I will bring them to you. You’ll have to ask Frederic about the other. I gave him the male.”

A smile pulled at the King’s lips and he pulled his son into another hug. “You are a good boy,” he whispered. 

Jasper returned the hug and pulled away, heading to the door. 

“Jasper,” his father called once again.

Jasper paused and turned to look at him. 

“I know you are fascinated with the Padolean Shadow. Maybe you should sit down with the Captain and ask him a few questions, understand the young killer better.”

Jasper nodded, “I might just do that.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Surgery went well and the stitches came out Thursday and I am doing great. Thank you all for your well wishes. 
> 
> It feels good to be able to write again and now that the chaos is over hopefully I'll get to post again soon.
> 
> Also, I know you guys are going to have a lot of questions after this chapter, but bear with me. I promise to answer them all in time.

“You can’t keep pushing yourself so hard. You’re going to hurt your arm again,” Jasper scolded, kneeling down and taking Beau’s arm to help him off the floor.

“I don’t need your help,” Beau growled, jerking his arm out of Jasper’s grasp. He forced himself to his feet and stared coldly at Jasper. “I can take care of myself.”

Anger and frustration flared inside Jasper. Beau had been lashing out at him since yesterday and it had only gotten worse when Jasper had started therapy this morning. Beau kept insisting that Jasper was drawing it out, and kept telling him that Beau didn’t need to be coddled. Jasper would believe it if Beau didn’t scream in pain when Jasper tried to lift his arm. 

“Have I done something to upset you?” Jasper demanded. “Because ever since I took your stitches out you have been nothing but hostile to me.”

“I’m not upset,” Beau snapped. “I just don’t need help from an enemy prince.”

“So now we’re enemies again?”Jasper crossed his arms over his chest and started at Beau impatiently. “I thought we were past this?”

Beau straightened and rolled his shoulders, barely hiding a wince. “You and I will always be enemies regardless of what you do to me. When it comes down to it, you will put your country first and I will be nothing but the Padolean Shadow to you. You will use me as leverage against my own country.”

Jasper couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping. How could Beau imply that Jasper would use him after everything they had been through. Jasper shook his head and composed himself to reply, but the look in Beau’s eyes stopped him. It was the same distrustful look he had given Jasper when the had first met and again when Beau had awoken in Jasper’s room. It made Jasper realize their their miscommunication truly was that damning for Beau.

Asking Beau questions wouldn’t get Jasper the answers he wanted, but there was someone else in the house that knew everything about Beau.

Moving away from the bed, Jasper stormed to the door. He threw the door open and steppe out, slamming it shut behind him. Keegan stared down at Jasper in surprise at his usually calm friend. 

“Lover’s quarrel?” he asked. 

“Take me to the Padolean Captain,” Jasper demanded, walking down the hall. 

“What? What a minute,” Keegan lunged forward and grabbed Jasper’s shoulders. “You two have a fight and now you’re what? Going to demand information from the other Padolean?”

“There are things I want to understand that Beau isn’t going to tell me,” Jasper replied, looking pleadingly into his best friend’s eyes. “Please, Keegan, just take me to him?”

Keegan huffed and rolled his eyes. “You’re going to be the death of me.” 

Jasper snorted and follower Keegan away from his room. When they finally reached the hall where Henry was staying, Keegan paused and turned a stern look on Jasper. 

“Are you going to tell him?” he asked in a cold tone.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Jasper replied, meeting Keegan’s multi colored eyes defiantly. “I wanted to wait and see if I could trust him.

“Well, I know you’re not going to listen to me, but I’m going to say it anyway. That is a stupid idea and you shouldn’t even be talking to him.”

“I understand your concern and yes, I am going to ignore it,” Jasper replied, motioning for Keegan to continue down the hall. 

Rolling his eyes again, Keegan led the prince down the hall. They both nodded to the guards standing watch and Jasper gently knocked on the door.

After a moment the door opened and Henry stared down at Jasper in surprise. “Your Highness,” he said, bowing slightly.

“Good afternoon, Captain. I was wondering if we could talk?” Jasper replied formally. 

A grieving smile formed on the Captain’s lips. “Your father mentioned your interest in our Shadow the morning. He said you might stop by with some questions.”

“I did have some questions, but if the subject it too hard for you…” Jasper trailed off when Henry shook his head. 

“I would be happy to talk about him with you. I saw you that night at the welcoming party, you were the only one who made sure he had water and food. You were obviously drawn to him from the start.”

“I will admit he had piqued my interest for many years. I have heard my fair share of stories about him and I would like to know which ones are the truth.”

Henry nodded and shut the door. Jasper gave the two guards at the door a quick glance, commanding them to remain there. He motioned for Henry to follow him, while Keegan trailed behind them. They headed back the way Jasper and Keegan had come, the silence between them weighing heavy. After several second Jasper cleared his throat and glanced at the Captain. 

“So, tell me about the Shadow.”

“Well, for starters, his name is Beau,” Henry started, a fond smile forming on his lips. “He was only eight when I met him, but one look at him and you knew he’d never had a childhood. His eyes had been hardened and he wore a weary look of an old man that had been through too much in his life.”

Jasper halted when Henry mentioned Beau’s age. “You mean to tell me that the military trained him to kill when he was eight years old?”

Henry shook his head, “The army had nothing to do with Beau’s training. From what we could gather when his father brought him to us was that the man had raised his son to be a weapon. Beau had been killing since he was five.”

“Five,” Jasper whispered, his eyes wide. He couldn’t imagine being so young and being commanded to kill. “Who would do that to their child?”

“A man who wants all the luxuries of money, but doesn’t want to work for it,” Henry replied bitterly. “He brought Beau to us, demanding money for his son’s skills. He was forced to demonstrate for us and after seeing his skills, the military and the president couldn’t pass him up.

“I still remember his screams at night when he stayed with my wife and me. The things his father did to him still haunt him to this day. I would go into his room and find him huddled in the corner, begging me not to punish him because he woke me.”

Jasper’s gut twisted at the information and he thought back to the first rainfall where Beau had asked Jasper not to make him go outside. He had no idea how Beau could have managed to keep his sanity for so long.

“You really cared for him,” Jasper commented. 

Henry nodded, but his smile tasted into a pained frown. “He was like a son to me. I regret not doing so much more for him. My wife ad I did everything we could to give him the love he never got from his father. Unfortunately, when it all came down to it, I was merely his commanding officer and never the father he deserved to have.”

“From what I understand about your government, they never would have let you take away their best killer. You did what you could for him.”

“I tried many times to get Beau away from his father and every time his father convinced them he was the only one who could control his killer child.”

“I’m sorry it never worked out. The little I know about him was from our only meeting and at the time I didn’t approve of them chaining him to a wall like an animal.”

Henry’s smile returned, “He was intrigued by you that night. You were the first person to ever approach him like that. You would have been good for him if the circumstances were different.”

Jasper paused again and looked down at the floor. He knew he couldn’t continue to let Henry grieve like this, not when Beau was in this house. Alive.

“Your Highness?” Henry asked after a moment.

Jasper glanced back at Keegan who was frowning at him. He returned the look with an apologetic smile and turned back to Henry. 

“Come with me, I have something I want to show you.”

~~~  
Beau glared down at his useless arm as it hung painfully at his side. He was finally starting to admit that Jasper was right and that he needed more time to heal, but he hated that he needed to do it here. He didn’t understand the feelings the prince was causing him to have and the quick kiss they had shared yesterday was only making things more confusing. Why couldn’t Jasper have found someone else to give Beau his therapy and sent him on his way?

Beau sat on the Prince’s bed and cradled his arm against his chest. Jasper was too good a doctor to let Beau go in this condition. It had nothing to do with Beau being the Padolean Shadow and Jasper wanting to use him. 

“Dammit,” Beau sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. 

Voices in the hall caught his attention and he scowled at the giddy twist in his gut when he recognized Jasper’s voice. He quickly moved out of view of the door, still holding his injured arm against his chest. 

Jasper was the first one in the room, his eyes immediately seeking out Beau. He frowned when he spotted him and moved further into the room. Behind Jasper was Henry, looking very much alive.

Beau dropped his injured arm, ignoring the twinge of pain as he stepped forward. His eyes looked over the man, noticing his mechanical arm and leg first. His hair was shorter then it had been the last time they had seen each other and Beau could see a distinct scar running over the Captain’s scalp. 

Henry pushed Jasper’s door closed and looked around the room. His eyes landed on Beau and he took a sharp intake of breath. For several long seconds Beau and Henry stared at each other in utter shock.

“By the gods, Beau, you’re alive?” Henry breathed as he crossed the room in three long strides. He wrapped Beau up in a hug, holding him tight. “I never thought I would see you again in this world.”

“I didn’t think I would either,” Beau whispered, using his good arm to return the hug. 

Beau glanced over at Jasper, who was watching them with a soft smile on his face. When he notice Beau watching him, Jasper’s smile grew and he turned to his medical bag. 

Henry released Beau and turned to Jasper. “You saved him?” he asked in less of an inquisitive voice then Beau would have thought he’d have. 

“I liked when I said I didn’t see him on the battlefield. I found him on the hill with my brother’s sword hurried in his shoulder and a bullet wound in his side. He was still alive, but barely. It took two transfusions to replace all the blood he’d lost and hours of surgery on his arm. I just took the stitches out yesterday and with some therapy, I’m hoping he will regain full use of his arm.” 

Beau was surprised by Jasper’s explanation. Jasper had never gone into detail about Beau’s condition that day on the battle field and it frightened Beau that he had been so close to death that day. If it hadn’t been for Jasper, he truly would have died. 

“And what do you plan on doing with him once he is healed?” Henry asked, his tone growing hard. 

Jasper shrugged and glanced at Beau. “That is up to Beau.”

Henry glanced at Beau and raised an eyebrow. Beau wasn’t sure what Jasper meant, but he nodded anyway. He would ask Jasper about it later, especially since Jasper had already broken one promise. 

Henry seemed satisfied with the answer and looked back at Jasper. “I don’t know how to thank you for saving him.”

Jasper waved off the comment as he pulled a sling out of his bag. He moved towards Beau hesitantly, probably expecting him to refuse with the Captain standing there. But Beau knew better. If he refused Jasper’s medical care in front of Henry, then Beau would be getting a long lecture about it. 

Jasper stepped in front of Beau and gave him a cheeky smile as he held up the sling. Beau glared at him in annoyance, but didn’t pull away when Jasper lifted his injured arm.

Henry stood back and watched them with his head tilted to the side. Beau wanted to tell him to stop staring and turn around, but he knew it would raise suspicion in both Henry and Jasper. 

Beau surpassed a shiver when Jasper moved closer, his shirt brushing against Beau’s bare skin as he slid the sling onto Beau’s arm. He moved even closer to adjust the strap, brushing his cheek against Beau’s. 

“I know you don’t want to wear this, but you can’t keep putting so much strain on your arm,” Jasper whispered, his breath tickling Beau’s ear.

Beau grunted at Jasper, his heart racing at Jasper’s close proximity. The last time they had been this close, Jasper had kissed him. Now Beau had to fight off the urge to slide his hand under Jasper’s shirt and feel the smooth skin he knew was there.

When Jasper pulled back their eyes met and Jasper flashed Beau an embarrassed smile. He quickly cleared his throat and the shy smile was gone, replaced by a stern look.  
“Don’t take it off,” he warned. Before Beau could reply, Jasper turned to smile at Henry. “I’ve got some work to do in the garden so I’ll leave you two to talk. Don’t let Beau take off the sling. 

Henry’s eyes flashed to Beau and he smirked. “I will make sure he doesn’t.”

Jasper nodded and headed for the double doors. He took Athen with him, leaving Henry and Beau alone.

“I see you and the prince have gotten close,” Henry observed with a smirk still on his face. 

“We’re not close,” Beau huffed, fiddling with his sling. “He is the Arabendian prince and he is just like everyone else. He promises things and never follows through.”

Henry grabbed Beau’s wrist and forced him to stop. “He said not to take it off and I agree with him.”

“Fine,” Beau grumbled, pulling away. He began to pace the room, relieved that he could freely move again after months of being confined to a bed. 

“You like him,” Henry stated as he watched Beau pace.” 

“He is the Arabendian prince, I have no feelings for him and I shouldn’t.”

“That’s the same response you gave me when I asked you about Tegan,” Henry pointed out. 

“This situation is a lot different then it was with Tegan.”

“You are right,” Henry nodded. “You are older, more mature and you are free from your father’s hold. This is your opportunity to pursue something you want. To learn about the things you enjoy without worrying that someone will use it against you.”

“How can you be so accepting about this?” Beau demanded. “Didn’t you hear me before? He’s already deceived me.”

Henry was silent for a moment before asking, “And what was this deception?”

Beau stopped in front of Henry and growled deep in his chest. “He promised me freedom once I was healed. He promised me a home and a life free of killing, and war, and… everything that I just want to forget. He promised me and the minute my stitches were out he told me I had to stay.”

Henry was quiet for a moment, his eyes assessing Beau. Finally he stepped forward and placed a hand on Beau’s injured shoulder. He laid his thumb over the still healing wound and squeezed. 

Beau instantly recoiled, his other hand immediately going to his shoulder. “Why did you do that?” Beau asked, feeling slightly betrayed by Henry’s actions. 

“I barely put any pressure on your shoulder,” Henry told him. “The prince isn’t keeping you here because he’s breaking his promise. He’s keeping you here because you are no where near healed. You would never be able to survive on your own. You need to stay here and strengthen your arm.”

“I would be fine,” Beau argued. “It’s not like I haven’t been injured before.”

“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve withheld orders from you because you were in no condition to fulfill them? When you broke your leg I kept my men in the field for almost two months more then we needed to be. You could hardly walk and I had to convince the President that we were tracking another group so your could rest. You are not indestructible, Beau. You need time to heal just like the rest of us. Stop being so stubborn and let the prince help you. It’s obvious you trust him, the fact that you let him touch you like that is proof.”

“I let him touch me because he doesn’t treat me like an animal.”

“He shouldn’t,” Henry said softly as he moved closer to Beau. “You are not an animal.”

Beau hummed softly and looked away. “How are things at home?”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask that,” Henry replied sadly. “Things have been tense. People are protesting in the streets and fighting the soldiers on patrol. They want change, not more death. The president has been taking extreme measures to keep the people in line. I sent Beth to stay with her family in the countryside to save her from people who have been looting homes. It won’t be much longer before the protests turn into riots. Our people want these wars to end.”

“Jasper told me there was talk of bombing the country. Leveling it if they had to.”

Henry nodded and moved to the bed where the puppies slept. “People have been bombing the capital in hopes of stopping the violence. It may come down to a mass bombing if no one can come up with another solution.”

Then you have to leave,” Beau exclaimed, slapping his hand on Jasper’s desk. “Take Beth and flee the country.”

“I can’t do that, Beau,” Henry said wearily. He lifted the uninjured puppy from the pillow and cradled her in his arms. “The army would track us down before we made it to the next city.”

Beau knew it was true and his guilt grew. He hated the president for sacrificing his country and people because of his greed. His eyes immediately strayed to entry’s metal arm and leg.  
“How did it happen?” 

Henry followed Beau’s eyes and he flexed his metal fingers. “After the call went up that you were dead I did everything I could to get to you. I didn’t care about the battle anymore, I just had to see you. I had to know that there was nothing I could do to save you. The men around me were in a rage. I had never seen them fight so hard for any reason before. I had just reached the edge of the battle field when a cannon ball hit me. I was knocked unconscious from the blow and when I woke up I was in the hospital and my limbs were missing.”  
“So it’s my fault you almost died,” Beau whispered. 

“No, it isn’t,” Henry replied sternly. “You are not the reason for any of this.”

“But aren’t I?” Beau demanded. “How many nights had I been forced into the president’s bed? How many opportunities have I had to end this and all I did was lay there and let him take what he wanted from me? I could have saved all those men if I hadn’t been such a coward.”

Henry returned the dog to her bed and stormed across the room. He took firm hold of Beau’s chin and forced him to meet his eyes. “Don’t you ever call yourself a coward. If you had assassinated a President you would have been killed yourself. Your death would have meant nothing because another power hungry person would have taken their place.”

“But I could have tried,” Beau argued weakly.

“You have saved countless men by being the Padolean Shadow. Those soldiers you traveled with respected you more than you’ll ever know. When they heard the President and your father left you on the battle field, they made sure you had a grave right next to all the other soldiers that fell that day.”

Beau blinked in surprise. “But they used me.”

“Not all of them saw you as a tool. The few men who thought it was smart to call you a whore were quickly shamed by the others. Our regiment really did look up to you.”

Beau sighed and closed his eyes. “And now I’m here, thinking about my freedom and a life far away from all this while innocent people die. I can’t just turn my back on them.”

Henry shook his head and pulled Beau into another hug. You can’t save everyone, Beau. Unfortunately people are going to die when those in power want what they can’t have. 

Beau’s heart sank and he nodded, leaning into Henry’s embrace. Henry held him tighter, careful not to bother Beau’s injured arm.

“I’m so sorry for all of this,” Henry whispered with a shuddered breath. “I should have done more to keep safe. To keep you away from your father and the President.”

“You did everything you could,” Beau replied, returning the hug. “I will never hate you for any of this.”

“Then I want you to promise me something,” Henry said, pulling back so he could look at Beau. “Let Jasper take care of you and let the feelings you have for him bloom into something you’ve never felt before. I’m not telling you to stay here and have a relationship with him. Just spend time with him and let yourself live for once. Promise me that once you are fully healed and you can live in peace that you let yourself be happy regardless of what happens to your country.”

Beau’s chest tightened and he felt tears fill his eyes. He forced them back and nodded. Beau knew this was ultimately a goodbye, but he couldn’t let himself believe it just yet. 

“How much longer do you have on your travel orders?”

“Four days,” Henry replied softly. 

“Then I want you to use them to go see Beth. Tell her I’m alive and spend as much time as possible with her.”

Henry’s eyes flashed with his own unshed tears and he nodded. “I’m going to go talk to the prince. Ou just rest and take the time your arm needs to fully heal.”

“Yes, Captain,” Beau replied in a wavered voice.

~~~  
Jasper knelt in his garden, yanking out weeds and tossing them into his basket to use as compost. He trimmed a few dead flowers off a plant and ripped out another weed, letting out his frustration with Beau on the annoying plants. 

“Is this the Arabendian form of anger management?”

Beau’s head snapped up and he found Henry standing a few feet away from him. Apparently it wasn’t just Beau who could sneak up on him. The Captain stood with the uninjured puppy tucked in the crook of his arm, while his mechanical hand perched on his hip. He was smiling and there was a glint of amusement in his honey colored eyes. 

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“Is he snarling at you too?” Jasper asked as he stood up. 

“He snarls at everyone when they tell him something he doesn’t want to hear. It’s one of his defense mechanisms,” Henry replied in a friendly tone.

“I figured that out,” Jasper grumbled. “Then again, it is my fault he’s angry at me.”

“That is why I came out here to talk to you. I don’t want you to misinterpret his reactions.”

“I understand his reactions perfectly fine. I promised him something, he interpreted it differently then I did and because I did not take the time to explain myself to him, he thinks I am breaking my promise just like everyone else.”

Henry’s smile quickly fell and he shook his head. “I think there is a little more you need to understand about him,” Henry replied, motioning to the bench near the flowerbed jasper was working on. 

Jasper took a seat and Henry joined him, setting the sleeping puppy in his lap. Henry was silent for a moment as he stroked the puppy’s fur. 

“What have you already deduced about Beau’s life in Padolea?”

Jasper took a deep breath and went over the wounds he had found on Beau’s body. “I know he’s been abused, raped, beaten, and starved. I assume it was mostly to keep him complacent. After what you’ve told me, I’m sickened at the thought of a father doing that to his son.”

“His father was the one that started it all. He discovered Beau’s attraction to men and used that to his advantage. He sold his son out to politicians and took money from them to keep silent. Homosexuality is illegal in our country, but there are ways to bend the rules. The President used him several times, and so did the ones before him. He was just a child when all that started too.”

“Saints,” Jasper breathed, setting his head in his hand. He didn’t want to think about Beau being put into those situations. 

“Do you have feelings for him?”  
Jasper looked back up at Henry. He didn’t seem upset that he had to ask the question, only curious. 

“He has caught my attention,” Jasper replied vaguely. Judging by the look Henry gave him, he knew what that meant. “I promise it won’t affect what I promised to him. Just because I find him attractive doesn’t mean I’m going to make him stay for my benefit.”

“I never doubted that, but Beau needs some attention from someone that doesn’t mean to harm or use him.”

“Are you telling me I should follow my feelings?” Jasper asked, slightly surprised. 

“I’m not telling you to do anything,” Henry replied with a smirk. “Just making a suggestion.”

Jasper grunted and looked out over the garden. 

“I can’t thank you again for saving him. He looks healthy for the first time in his life. Was there… anything you found that could cause him problems later on?”

Jasper glanced at Henry with a frown. “Maybe some arthritis in his shoulder, but if you are asking about diseases, I checked him when I brought him here. He was free of anything venereal, bacterial, or the rest. The only problem I found was from malnourishment and that is quickly fixing itself.”

Henry breathed a heavy sigh and nodded. “I wish I could stay with you longer to help you with him, but Beau has made me promise to spend some time with my wife.”

“Did he tell you about the next step in this war?”

“He did and I promise not to say anything. Unfortunately with the way things are, I can’t see another way out of this.”

“I’m sorry it has to be like this.”

“I am too,” Henry sighed. “Maybe something will change before it comes to that.”

“I hope it does,” Jasper replied softly.

Henry fell silent as he looked over the garden. He stroked the puppy’s fur while she slept, looking slightly lost in thought. “Do you mind if I take her with me?” Henry asked, indicating the dog. “I think my wife would like to have a puppy for company.”

Jasper flashed Henry a small smile. It was the least he could do for a man that would probably die during this war.


	10. Chapter 10

“Focus, Jasper,” Frederic yelled over the clang of dulled steel.

Jasper grunted in pain as he pushed himself up from where he had fallen. He glared at the young soldier standing across from him and raised his sword. Havela looked wearily between his two princes and raised his own sword. Frederic adjusted their stance and waved for them to continue with their sparring. 

It didn’t hatter how much Frederic tried to correct Jasper’s technique, non of it stuck. Jasper’s mind was solely focused on Beau and the rift that was forming between them because of Beau’s distrust. Jasper would be the first to admit that it was his fault all this was happening, but it still stung when Beau called him a liar. His constant distraction left him open and vulnerable for his sparring partner to easily attack and disarm him. Frederic never expected them to hold back and Havela took full advantage of it. 

In fact, is was Jasper’s distraction that had drawn Frederic to the two of them and now that both prince’s were watching, Havela seemed to hit even harder. Every time a blow landed, Frederic scolded Jasper and Frederic was starting to loose his patience with his brother. It didn’t seem to matter how hard Jasper tried to concentrate on his training, his mind always went back to Beau. 

It had been three days since Henry had left and whatever tenuous truth Jasper and Beau had had dissipated the moment the man left. He took every opportunity he could to accuse Jasper of lying and breaking his promise. Luckily the one good thing that had come out of Henry’s visit was that Beau wasn’t fighting Jasper when it came to therapy anymore. That Jasper could at least count as a win. 

The heavy thud of a body colliding with his own snapped Jasper out of his thoughts and once again Jasper’s back slammed into the packed dirt of the sparring arena. 

“Enough,” Frederic growled, sending Havela away with a flick of his hand. He stormed over to Jasper and grabbed his hand, hauling him to his feet. “What is going on with you?” he demanded, looking his brother in the eye. “You’re not usually this out of it after a patient dies.”

“That’s not what’s bothering me,” Jasper replied, returning his sword to the rack.

“Then what is it?”

Jasper shrugged and moved into the barracks. Frederic followed behind, unwilling to let it go without getting some sort of answer. 

“Jasper,” Frederic said when Jasper sopped to get a drink. “Talk to me, please?”

Jasper sighed and looked around, pulling his brother into an empty hallway. “I made a promise to someone and they didn’t interpret it the way I meant for it to be interpreted and now they are mad at me.”

“What was the promise?” Frederic asked, looking unimpressed. 

Jasper took a moment to figure out how to word his explanation without releasing who it was he was talking about. 

“He’s a soldier who was badly injured during the last battle with the Padoleans. Now he is unable to fight anymore and I promised I would help him get back on his feet one he was healed. He believed ‘healed’ meant when the stitches came out and I meant once his therapy was finished.”

“And you’re upset because he’s overreacting about something so trivial?” Frederic scoffed. 

“He’s been abused, Frederic. By his father and several other people who use promise to force him to obey. They hurt him and none of them followed up with their promises. Now he thinks I’m just like them.” Jasper paused and took breath before his emotions got the better of him. “I’m not upset because he’s overreacting, I’m upset because I knew about his past and I didn’t even think about my word choice when I made that promise. He thinks I’m live everyone else that’s lied to him. He was starting to trust me too and I ruined that.”

A look of understanding had crossed Frederic’s face. Arabenda may have laws against any kind of abuse, but that didn’t stop people from doing it and much worse. Jasper the last time the king had take his two sons along to end a child prostitution ring. I hadn’t been the first one, but it was the worst they had seen. Frederic had helped apprehend the people in charge and Jasper had pulled the children to and given them medical care with the other medics. 

The condition of the children and the rooms they were forced to live gave Jasper and Frederic nightmares for days. They had spent quite a few nights after that siting up together and talking about the cruelty of the world and how they would try to stop it. It hadn’t been as easy as they had hoped. They had stopped many prostitution rings from exploiting men, woman, and children for profit, but they were getting smarter and harder to find every day. 

“I don’t know how to help you,” Frederic finally said after a long silence. He sat heavily down on a worn wooden bench and looked up at Jasper. “I wish I had some advice to give you, but I’m not the best at these situations. Normally this is something I would talk to you about.”

Jasper joined Frederic on the bench and sighed. “I does feel good to talk about it,” he said softly. “I just need to figure out how to get him to understand.”

Frederic looked his brother over with a critical eye and pursed his lips. “You like him?”

“Is it that obvious?” Jasper asked, his heart beat speeding up and his face heating. “I’m not going to ask him to stay because I have feelings for him. I made him a promise and I intend to keep it.”

Frederic nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

Jasper huffed a laugh and shook his head. That would be a terrible disaster. “I don’t think a talk with you will make things better. He would probably feel threatened if I sent my older brother to talk to him because he and I are having a misunderstanding.”

Frederic chuckled, moving away from the bench when Jasper stood. He turned to his brother and pulled Jasper into a tight hug. “It’s my job to be the intimidating brother.”

Jasper snorted and returned his brother’s hug ignoring the twinges of pain he felt when he moved. It wasn’t often Frederic hugged and Jasper soaked in his brother’s comfort. 

“Don’t worry about your patient,” Frederic said in the gentlest tone he could muster. “In time he will come to realize that you really are keeping your promise and that the therapy was necessary. And if that doesn’t work, just give him that kicked puppy look you’re giving me right now. I’m sure he’ll take one look at you and apologize immediately.”

Another bubble of laughter erupted from Jasper and he hugged his brother even tighter. “It won’t take too much to convince him I’m miserable. I’m so sore I probably already look sad and pathetic.”

“That’s what you get for not paying attention during sparring practice. Maybe I should make you stay longer and spare with Havela a little longer.”

“Haha,” Jasper grunted, pulling away from Frederic. Thank you for listening.

“You’re welcome,” Frederic replied, gently squeezing Jasper’s shoulder. 

~~~  
Beau sat on the floor with the lone puppy curled in his lap. They had formed a bond with her during their healing and Beau had started calling her Lua. He hadn’t told Jasper about the name yet, unsure of weather to not he would approve of Beau naming his dog. 

He sighed and laid his head against the wall, stroking Lua’s fur with his good hand. His shoulder twinged in pain when he tried to get comfortable, reminding him that therapy that morning had been harder then he had expected. He had finally, albeit grudgingly accepted that Jasper and Henry had been right. Beau would have never survived on his own if he had left Jasper’s care already.” 

He felt like an ass for the things he had said to Jasper and every time he saw the prince he told himself he needed to apologize for what he had said. Unfortunately, there was still a part of him that was bitter about Jasper’s unexplained promise. It was the same part of him that kept warning him that he had been deceived before and that Jasper didn’t deserve an apology. 

Beau scowled at that part of his mind. He hated all those years of false promises and the men who used them against him. He knew he could trust Jasper, but there was always that little voice that told him Jasper was just more convincing than the others. Damn he wished he’d had more time to talk about this with Henry. But Henry’s future was looking bleaker and bleaker with each passing day and he needed to see Beth before he returned to the hands of the President. 

Chatter in the hall caught Beau’s attention and he paused to listen, his hand resting on Lua’s tiny back. He recognized Keegan’s sharp tone as it rose through the door. Whoever he was arguing with sounded much younger and very cocky. Beau could practically imagine the annoyed look on Keegan’s face as he told some cocky kid to go away. After listening for a while, Beau realized that the was an argument the two had had several times and he wondered if it had something to do with Jasper. A twist of jealousy pulled at Beau at the though of someone sneaking into Jasper’s room in hopes of convincing him to go to bet with them. He didn’t like those thought even more then the thoughts of Jasper using him.

When he door finally opened, Beau sat quietly against the wall. If someone had managed to get past Keegan, Athen would stop them before they spotted Beau. Athen never moved from his spot on the far wall and it turned out Keegan was the one who stepped into the room. He had a plotted plant under one arm, his face pinched in frustration. No one tried to sneak in behind him, which meant Keegan had successfully scared off whoever was trying to get into Jasper’s room. 

His days immediately searched for Beau and his shoulder’s relaxed when he saw him sitting on the floor. 

“Damn royalty,” he grunted, striding over to Jasper’s desk and setting the plant down. “Now I know why Jasper has a special lock on his door.”

“To keep people from finding me?” Beau speculated. 

“To keep his possible suitors from sneaking in and trying something debauched with him.”

“And a lock makes you happy because you don’t approve of any of Jasper’s suitors?” Beau asked more to tease than anything.

“Not when they are twelve and think they can ignore the princess guard and do whatever they want,” Keegan growled.

Beau hummed in understanding. He had had his fair share of yucky boys and men who tried to ignore his warnings and command. “And why are you here guarding the prince’s door instead of guarding the prince?”

“Because Jasper is currently at the training grounds and you would have to be an idiot to attack him there, especially with Frederic around. He would break every bone in your body if you tried to harm his brother. Jasper is completely safe and I’m stuck here to keep the Duke of Arnolas’s twelve year old son from sneaking into Jasper’s room and finding you.”  
“Didn’t you just say there was a lock on the door?”

“There is, but it’s a trick lock and you have to know the secret to unlocking it. It would take too much time to unlock it if there was an emergency. Jasper’s been leaving his room unlocked just in case something happened to you and either he or I needed to get to you quickly.”

“And if something happened, you would have come?” Beau asked bitterly. 

Keegan rolled his eyes, “I may not like you, but I wouldn’t leave you bleeding on the floor. I wouldn’t do that to Jasper.”

There was a cold inflection in Jasper’s voice that gave Beau the impression that Keegan had something he wanted to add, but was keeping it to himself.  
“Is there something you want to say to me?” Beau asked in a cold tone.

Keegan blew out a heavy breath and moved towards Beau. He kneeled down in front of him and held up his hands when Beau tensed. “I don’t want this to be a hostile conversation. I understand you’re not the most trusting person, but Jasper is doing everything he can for you and he doesn’t deserve the cold shoulder you’re giving him. Hell, if it had been my decision, you would have been gone the second you woke up. Jasper cares deeply for his patients and you can trust me when I say that the only reason he’s keeping you here is because you haven’t healed yet.”

“I’m beginning to understand that,” Beau nodded, “but thank you for clarifying that.”

Keegan nodded and stood, “I know this might be hard for you, but I recommend you apologize to him.”

“I suppose I should,” Beau agreed.

“Immediately.” Were Keegan’s final words before he strode from the room. 

Beau sighed and let his head fall back against the wall. He wondered how much of his past Keegan knew about and how much of it he was guessing. If Jasper was talking to Keegan about it, he probably knew more then Beau cared to admit. Then there was the matter of the apology. Maybe he just needed to say the words before he thought too much about them. 

To his surprise the bedroom door opened a few minuted later and Jasper himself strode in. He turned exhausted eyes on Beau and smiled tiredly at him. So much for Keegan believing Jasper was safe, he looked like he had taken a beating at training. When Jasper was satisfied that Beau wasn’t doing anything stupid, he shuffled to his bed and collapsed face down with a groan. 

Worry immediately seized Beau and he set Lua back in her bed. “Are you alright?” he asked, easing himself to his feet.

“Fine,” Jasper replied, his voice muffled by the comforter. With another groan, Jasper rolled himself onto his back and tossed an arm over his eyes. The motion caused his shirt to ride up, exposing a dark purple bruise on his side. 

Beau frowned at the bruise and pushed away from the wall. He moved quietly towards the bed, reaching for Jasper when he made it to the edge of the mattress. “You have a bruise,” he stated, brushing his fingers over the exposed skin. 

The touch startled Jasper and he jerked away from Beau’s hand, exposing more bruises on his arms. 

“How did you move so quickly,” Jasper demanded, jerking his shirt down. “I didn’t even hear you stand up.”

Beau gave a one shouldered shrug, “I’m the Padolean Shadow, remember? You’re not supposed to hear me move.”

“Right,” Jasper grumbled. “Well, I’m glad to see that you’re getting back to your old self.” He pushed off the bed, pausing when he ended up much closer to Beau then he had anticipated. 

Feeling Jasper’s breath caress Beau’s chin cause Beau’s heart to thump in his chest. 

“I’m going to go take a shower and then I want to work on your arm a little more. Is it still sore from this morning?” 

“A little," Beau replied, barely breathing as Jasper scooted around him. “I’ll live, though.”

“Alright, I’ll try to go easy on you later,” Jasper replied. 

Beau followed Jasper’s movements and bit his lip. He needed to apologize and he needed to do it now.

“Jasper?” Beau lunged forward and wrapped his hand around Jasper’s wrist. 

Jasper stopped at the touch and turned to look at Beau.

“I’m sorry,” Beau forced himself to say. It didn’t seem as hard to do it now then it had been to all the men before. “I’m sorry I thought you broke your promise and I’m sorry I refused to listen to you when you tried to explain. I’m not…. I don’t trust easily.”

“I know you don’t,” Jasper replied, the tension he was holding seemed to melt away. He took step forward and slid his arms around Beau’s neck, pulling him into a loose hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t make sure you understood what I meant in the firs place.”

Beau closed his eyes and let himself be hugged. He enjoyed being wrapped up in Jasper’s arms ever since the first night they had cuddled. 

“I should have trusted you,” he whispered.

Jasper rubbed his cheek against Beau’s in agreement and turned his head. Soft lips pressed to Beau’s cheek and Beau felt his whole body flood with pleasure. It brought him back to all the other times Jasper had kissed him affectionately. All he had to do was turn his head and they would be kissing. 

But there was still that part of him that was hesitant to do so. The part that was going to take a lot more convincing to trust Jasper. For now Beau enjoyed the hug and the gentle touch, telling himself one day he would be able to be as affectionate as Jasper was. 

When Jasper pulled back he had a soft smile on his face. “I should be out in a few minutes, have Athen get you a hot pack.”

Beau nodded and Jasper turned, disappearing into the bathroom.


	11. Chapter 11

Jasper carried a box of tools through his garden, looking over various plants as he walked. He had a new patient at the hospital that needed a salve for a snake bite Jasper’d had to debride again that morning. Luckily, most of the plants he needed were in bloom so he would be able to make enough salve for his patient to have until the wound healed. 

A rustling of leaves caught Jasper’s attention and he looked around to see if he could spot Beau anywhere. 

After six weeks of therapy Beau was finally able to use both arms and with Jasper’s permission, had started working on getting back into shape. Beau was much happier now that he could move freely, moving his training out to the garden where he could safely work out with Athen’s help. The broken legged puppy had also healed and she had grown attached to Beau, following him around wherever he went. 

Jasper was happy with both of their progress, but it also meant he was going to have to get some information from Cowell about available houses. He had been thinking about location that morning and had decided to look only at places that were secluded from military roads, but close enough to a town for Beau to visit when he needed. Luckily, not many people knew who the Padolean Shadow looked like and there were enough Padolean refugees that had snuck into the country that no one would question Beau’s sudden appearance. 

Jasper set his things on the ground and emerged himself in his gardening. He could think about Beau’s new home later when he could discuss with Beau about it a little more. Jasper kneeled down and started searching for the leaves he would need form a particular plant. He gently clipped them off and moved on to a small purple flower, humming and old song his mother sang to him when he was younger. The silence around give gave him a meditative calm while he worked, easing some of the stress he had been feeling from work.

He took what he needed from that plant and moved on to the next one, closing his eyes and breathing in the sweet scent when he clipped off a stem. 

“Jasper?” 

Jasper startled and let out a surprised cry, jerking his hands away from the plant and nearly cutting the entire thing down. He steadied himself on one hand and looked at Beau who was kneeling next to him. As usual Jasper hadn’t heard a sound, making it easy for Beau to sneak up on him. 

“Saints, Jasper, how can you move so quietly on gravel?” Jasper demanded.

“You didn’t hear me, I’ve been following you around for a few minutes now,” Beau replied, the corner of his lips twitching in a smile. “Maybe I should start loudly announcing myself every time I get near you.”

“I think you’re having too much fun sneaking up on me,” Jasper huffed. “What were you following me around for?”

“Just watching,” Beau replied with a shrug. 

“And did you learn anything while you were watching me?”

This time the smile stretched across Beau’s lips as he looked almost fondly at Jasper. “You bite the inside of your cheek when you’re concentrating on something and you as gentile to your plants at you are to your patients.”

“You learned all that right now?”

“Well, not all of it, I have been watching you for the last three months,” Beau replied with another shrug.

“Well that’s not weird,” Jasper snorted. 

Beau gave a small laugh and looked down at the flower in Jasper’s hand. “Actually, I came over to ask you about gardening.”

“Gardening?” Jasper asked, setting the un-bloomed flower he needed in his basket. 

Beau tilted his head and glanced down at the plant Jasper was hovering over. “I was thinking about living on my own and that maybe it would be a good idea to learn how to grow crops. It’ll give me something to do and I will have a source of food if I have trouble finding work.”

“That’s a good idea,” Jasper nodded. “I was just thinking about getting some information on a few of the houses available. I was thinking somewhere away from the military roads and a little secluded, but close enough to a town. This country has seen a fair share of Padolean refugees, so one one would look twice at you moving in. Is there anything you’re hoping to have with your house?”

“I haven’t really thought about it. I wouldn’t have thought about the gardening this if Athen hadn’t suggested it.” Beau side and rubbed his face. “All this time I’ve wanted to get away from my past and I have no idea what I’m going to do now that it’s happening.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Jasper replied, giving Beau an encouraging smile. “This is all new for you, you’re going to have to learn as you go. Give your new home some thought and I’ll do the best I can. Even if you decided some time down the road you want to change something, I can help you with the renovations.”

Beau looked up, meeting Jasper’s eyes. “Does that mean you want me close enough for you to come an visit?”

Jasper felt his cheeks warm and he broke the intense eye contact. “I was hoping you would be okay with it. I would like to come check up on you, just to make sure you’re doing okay. I don’t want to just toss you out and forget about you. If you don’t want me visiting that’s fine.”

“I would like it if you visited me. You’re the only person asides from Henry whose treated me like a normal person.”

“I wouldn’t treat you any other way,” Jasper whispered, reaching out and sliding his hand over Beau’s arm. “Give me a minute to get the last of the plants I need and then I’ll show you the basics of gardening.”

Beau stayed close to Jasper, watching him work while he harvested the plants for his salve. He would occasionally ask questions and Jasper was happy to answer them. Normally people weren’t interested in Jasper’s gardening, they usually just asked to be polite. Beau, however, soaked up the information like a sponge. He asked questions when he didn’t know something and easily mimicked Jasper’s movements. 

Jasper was surprised just how quickly Beau learned and realized that with how quickly he absorbed information it probably wouldn’t have been heard to teach a younger Beau how to kill. The thought sickened Jasper and he told himself he would help Beau learn everything he had been denied when he was a child. 

It was late when they finished in the garden and Beau was getting tired from the work. He still stayed with Jasper while he made his salve, asking more questions and requesting that Jasper teach him some simple salves just in case Beau needed to treat a wound. 

“I take it not a lot of people garden in Padolea,” Jasper commented offhandedly as he crushed some leaves.

“The soil has been completely stripped of all its nutrients from the mining,” Beau replied solemnly. “Nothing grows and if it does, you can hardly call it a plant.”

“You would never know from the way the president throws parties with mountains of food.”

“That’s where almost all of our food goes.”

Jasper fell silent, looking down at the jar he was holding. Talk of bombing Padolea had come up several time and now that there were Padolean troops camped at the Arabendian border, giving anyone who tried to cross over a hard time, things were becoming more and more strained. Jasper’s father was waiting to see what more happened, but their soldiers were preparing for war again and who knew what would happen. The only definite way that if the Padolean president didn’t back down, Jasper’s father would have to eliminate the entire country. 

“What’s wrong?” Beau asked when the silence wore on for too long.

“Nothing,” Jasper shook his head. “Just thinking about other things I can show you.”

Beau gave him a look like he didn’t believe Jasper but kept silent. Jasper had promised himself that he wouldn’t tell Beau anything more about the war. He’d already lost so much, there was no point in making it worse.

~~~

Beau looked over the house descriptions Jasper had given him as he sat on a bench in Jasper’s garden. Lua was sleeping beside him, her feet twitching as she dreamed. Jasper had brought the papers back with him when he returned from work and told Beau to look them over when he was immediately summoned by his father. Jasper had been gone for about four hours now and Beau had spent most of that time training. His muscles were starting to firm back up and his shoulder was improving every day.

He flipped one of the pages over and looked at the house that had caught his eye the first few times he had looked at the papers. It was a small secluded cottage built on a large piece of land. It was near a town and Beau wondered if Jasper could tell him anything about it. Beau like the simplicity of the house. It was only one floor with a simple kitchen, two bedrooms and a small siting room. It was really all he needed. 

Jasper had marked it as close enough to visit, which made Beau happy. He had grown to like the prince and he didn’t want to end their friendship because they weren’t sharing the same space before. If Beau was being truly honest with himself, he would love for Jasper to visit as often as possible. It would help to keep Beau’s first and only friendship strong, but also prove that the other feelings Beau was feeling for Jasper were just as strong if they spent a few days apart as they were now. 

The crunch of gravel alerted Beau that he wasn’t alone anymore and he looked up to see Jasper heading towards him. His light brown hair was wet and he wasn’t wearing a shirt, which made the feelings Beau had just been thinking about swell inside him. 

“Did you find anything you like?” Jasper asked, oblivious to the way he affected Beau as he sat down next to him.

Beau glanced down at the house he had been looking at and handed the paper to Jasper. Jasper leaned over Lua- who was sleeping next to Beau- and took the paper. He was silent for a moment while he looked over the house Beau had chosen, a small smile tugging at his lips. 

“So this is where you want to live?” Jasper asked, his smile broadening when Beau nodded. “Alright, I’ll talk to Cowell and get everything set up. You should be able to move in in the next few days.”

“That fast?” Beau blurted. He had expected a few weeks, not days.

“I just have to put in the paperwork that someone is moving in to it. The house is already furnished, so all we need to do is get you some more clothes, some food, and seeds for your garden. That won’t take long either and I’m sure you’re ready to have your own space.”

“Aren’t there other people waiting for homes?”

“Not at the moment. The house isn’t part of the program I had told you about. We just keep track of the homes people move out of in case we need to house someone while we build a new home. We keep the houses maintained until someone takes it.”

“Oh,” was Beau’s only reply. 

Jasper tilted his head and looked Beau over before his eyes dropped to Lua laying between them. “The two of you have gotten pretty close. I assume you’d want to take her with you.”

“You’re the one who saved her,” Beau replied. 

“I did, but you’ve been taking care of her and I know the two of you are close. I also know you’ve named her, I hear yo whispering it when I’m in the room.”

“I didn’t know how you would react if I told you. Her name is Lua.”

Jasper nodded and ran his hand along the puppy’s spine. 

“I’ve never owned a dog before, what if I do something wrong?” Beau confessed quietly.

“I’ll help you,” Jasper replied softly. He reached up and cupped Beau’s face in his hand. He stroked Beau’s cheek with his thumb, causing Beau’s heart to quicken. “I will help you with whatever you need, Beau.”

~~~

“Well it’s about damn time he’s leaving,” Keegan growled as he followed Jasper to his room. “You could have done it without dragging me into it, though.”

“I need help moving Beau into his house,” Jasper replied in a hushed voice. “You’re the only other person who knows about him so there really was no contest. Besides, I thought you were starting to like him?” he quipped. 

“Just because I’ve been making an effort to be nice to him doesn’t mean I like him,” Keegan huffed. “I’m still surprised you’re letting him go so soon. I would have thought you’d want him to have a few more weeks of therapy.”

“It would be ideal, but I’m running out of time,” Jasper sighed.

“Wait,” Keegan stopped and gently grabbed Jasper’s arm, turning the prince to face him. “You’re moving him out of the palace because of what’s going on at the border aren’t you?”

Jasper frowned, but nodded. A group of Padolean soldiers had shown up at the border crossings across the Padolean/Arabenda line and they had brought heavy artillery with them. Though there was no sign that they were planning on using it, they had bee harassing the Arabendian guards at the border and the few merchants that traveled between the two countries. Jasper didn’t want to take the chance of getting Beau caught up in it all while he was recuperating, so Jasper had decided the perfect time for Beau to start his new life was now. At least then he wouldn’t hear any news about the incoming war immediately.

“I promised him he wouldn’t have to kill anymore and that means keeping him away from all of it. I’m going to have to go out into the field when the fighting starts again and I don’t want to lie to him about where I am. That also means he won’t be protected in my room and I’m not bringing him with me. This was the only solution I had.”

“And what are you going to do when the news does get to him?” Keegan asked.

“He’s far enough away from what’s going on at the border that he won’t hear about it for a while. Even if this does escalate to a full out war he’ll be protected and he won’t have a reason to charge into the battle.”

“He might if he knows you’re out there on the field.”

“Beau and I don’t share the same feelings, Keegan. We’re just friends and strained friends at that. He won’t care about me so long as I stay alive.”

Keegan gave Jasper a look like he didn’t believe any of that. “We’ll see. You said he chose somewhere close enough that you could come visit him. I don’t think that’s strained at all.”

“I’m the only friend he has at the moment,” Jasper explained. “I’m sure once he gets to know the people around him he’ll forget all about that.”

“Yeah, I doubt that,” Keegan snorted.

“What does that mean?” Beau demanded.

Keegan just shook his head and continued walking. Jasper fell into step with his best friend, feeling odd from the conversation. There was no way Beau felt the same way Jasper did. He despised Jasper for the most part, only tolerating him because he had to. Yes things between them had gotten less strenuous in the last few days, but Jasper definitely wouldn’t say Beau was developing stronger feelings for Jasper.

Jasper on the other hand felt like he was loosing his opportunity to move forward with Beau. Then again, he was sure Beau would respond unkindly if Jasper tried to kiss him again. He should have never kissed Beau in the first place. Beau had been comforting Jasper and Jasper had taken advantage of it.

“So when do we leave?” Keegan asked, drawing Jasper out of his thoughts.

“Tomorrow morning, early,” Jasper explained. “I want to leave before most of the palace wakes up and Frederic is already at the training grounds. I’m going to have Athen take the few things Beau has to the carriage tonight. I’m planning on spending the night so I can make sure Beau is completely settled, but I also don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

Keegan nodded, pausing outside Jasper’s door. “I’ll be ready at sun up. If you’re not up I’m throwing cold water on you.”

Jasper snorted and waved good bye to his friend.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, I'm on vacation and I'm attempting to get a lot of writing done. Unfortunately, I write a couple chapters and a few days later I think they are terrible and delete them all and start over. 
> 
> I'm going to attempt to get another chapter posted, but if you've followed me before, you'll know my vacations are totally off the grid. I don't have internet or cell service unless I go to the library in town, which is pretty far away. I ill try but it depends on what we're doing for the next few days. 
> 
> So for now, enjoy this chapter!

Beau slid his hood off his head when the carriage was clear of the palace gates. They had easily slipped out of the palace that morning and it made Beau wonder if the king was being recklessly overconfident about the safety of his sons. Even now, letting his younger son spend two days away from home with only one guard was concerning to Beau. Then again, people in Arabenda didn’t seem as determined to overthrow their rulers as they were in Padolea. 

“You should get some rest,” Jasper whispered, bumping his shoulder against Beau’s. 

Beau glanced at the prince and pulled the blanket that was covering them closer. It was a cool spring morning and the heat hadn’t yet kicked on in the carriage; so instead of sitting across from Beau, Jasper had taken the seat next to him and wrapped a blanket around the two of them. The close space was keeping them warm, but it was also dragging up feelings Beau didn’t want to feel today. He wasn’t going to be seeing Jasper all that much after tomorrow and he didn’t want to feel a longing from things that never happened once he was gone.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to get any sleep even if I tried,” Beau replied, looking over at Lua who was sleeping soundly on the bench across from them. 

Jasper’s fingers brushed Beau’s hand under the blanket and he leaned closer. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his breath brushing across Beau’s cheek. 

Beau huffed and shook his head. “I feel like this is all an elaborate dream and I’m going to wake up from it and find myself in some tent waiting for orders to try to kill your brother again.”

“Well, I promise it’s all real and please don’t try to kill my brother again. I don’t want to have to cut a bullet out of you again,” Jasper teased.

Beau grunted and rolled his eyes. “I don’t know how well I’m going to take to normal life either.”

“It’s going to take time to acclimate, but like I said before, you’ll learn to acclimate.”

Beau hummed softly and set his feet on the opposite bench. He leaned into Jasper, feeling a little thrill when Jasper shifted and pressed against him. 

“I’m worried about how much stuff I’m going to mess up while you’re not around to help me.” 

“Ah, that reminds me,” Jasper pulled away and reached under the seat. He pulled out a box and held it out for Beau. “I don’t want to loose all communication with you, so I got you this.”

Beau took the box and gently opened it, his blue eyes widening when he found a small clockwork owl inside. 

“It carried messages,” Jasper explained. “It flies fast, so if you send something, I’ll get it that day. As long as I’m free I’ll be able to send you a response quickly.” 

Beau let out a shaky breath and set the owl back in the box. He turned to Jasper and leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. “Thank you for not abandoning me after you leave.”

“I would never do that to you,” Jasper whispered, sliding his fingers through Beau’s hair. 

Beau relaxed back against the seat and they fell into a comfortable. He was even able to get some sleep once all his worries and fears had been eliminated. He woke again when the carriage bumped over an uneven drive leading to his new home. 

The description Beau had read was that the house sat on an open field and while that was true, there was a line of trees that cut the view on the right side of the house. That at lease made Beau feel a little comfortable. Though there weren’t any neighbors for a few miles and open field wouldn’t conceal someone living in what was an empty house. 

“Here we are,” Jasper said with a smile. 

He stood and opened the door and Lua was out of the carriage and running around the house barking excitedly. Beau stepped out of the carriage behind Jasper and looked around. He was hesitant to take another step and ruin the dream. Jasper paused and turned back to him. When their eyes met Beau felt that same sense of loss he had been feeling for the last few days. He had gotten use to being around Jasper and he was being honest with himself, he didn’t want to loose him. 

Jasper moved back to Beau, sliding his hand into Beau’s and pressing a key into his hand. When Jasper pulled away Beau clutched the key tight in his hand. The house looked a lot bigger now that he was standing in front of him and he felt intimidated by it. A small voice in his head reminded him that this was his and only his house. That meant there was no one to tell him what to do or punishments if he didn’t do something. He could sleep all day with no repercussions if he wanted to. 

“So are you going to stand out here and stare at the door all day or are we going to go inside?” Keegan growled from behind Beau. 

“Don’t listen to him,” Jasper said, scowling at his friend. “Take all the time you need.” 

“Says the man who isn’t carrying all the bags,” Keegan huffed, hefting one of Beau’s bags onto his shoulder. 

Beau gave Keegan an apologetic look and walked to the door. He slipped the key into the lock, half expecting to feel resistance when he turned the key. Luckily the lock turned and Beau pushed the door opening. The kitchen and the siting room were the first things he saw and he was surprised at just how big the house actually was.

“Kinda small,” Keegan commented, striding past Beau when he didn’t walk into the house. 

“Keegan, honestly,” Jasper chided. 

Keegan merely grunted at him and dropped the bags he was carrying on a chair.

“I was actually thinking the opposite,” Beau breathed. “I honestly don’t even know what a lot of this stuff is.”

“Well, then I will give you a grand tour,” Jasper told him, looping his arm through Beau’s. 

Jasper took Beau through each room, explaining the furniture and all of the built in storage room the house had. Beau was pretty sure he didn’t have enough stuff for the storage space he had, but he wasn’t going to mention that to Jasper. The kitchen was stocked with more food than Beau had ever had in his life and he worried that int would all go bad before he had a chance to eat it. Or learn to cook properly for that matter.

He continued to listen to Jasper ramble about windows and electricity while wondering to himself if he would be able to survive on his own. By the time they had reached Beau’s bedroom he had convinced himself that this was too much space. His own bedroom looked like a cave with no end to it and he was starting to panic.

A hand touched his back and Jasper stepped in front of him. “Relax, it’s okay,” he soothed, taking Beau’s face in his hands. “I know this is a lot, but this is a good a lot.”

“It’s just big,” Beau admitted. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with all of it.”

“Live in it, make it your own. If you think it’s too big, fill the corners with stuff. If you don’t like how something looks, move it. It’s your house, do what you want with it.”

“It is mine,” Beau nodded, focusing on Jasper, “and I have you to thank for it.”

Jasper smiled, “I told you I would keep my promise. Now, lets go get your stuff and start filling your house with it.”

It didn’t take them too long to get Beau’s things unpacked and the house moved around to where Beau liked it. They both agreed to move outside and spend the rest of the afternoon working on the garden. It didn’t take Beau long to realize that gardening wasn’t as easy as Jasper had made it look. Jasper had years to grow his garden and Beau’s newly made garden wasn’t going to be anything special for a while. 

Along with tilling the ground, Jasper had brought fence posts and wire fence to put around the garden to keep the critters out. Critters that could apparently burrow under a fence so they had to burry it to keep them out. By the time they finally formed rows for the crops it was late in the evening and Jasper had decided to leave the actual planting for tomorrow.

Beau was thankful that Jasper had finally decided to stop. His shoulder was starting to twinge and he didn’t know how much more he would have been able to do. 

As they made their way to the house, a delicious smell wafted out to greet them. In the kitchen Keegan was stirring a pot of food on the stove while Lua laid in wait for something to fall on the floor. 

“One of the other reasons I bring him along is because he’s a really good cook,” Jasper said, motioning to Keegan. 

“And you’re not getting a bite of it until you go wash the nasty hands,” Keegan warned sounding like he was scolding a small child. 

Jasper snorted and headed to the bathroom, leaving Beau to wash up in the kitchen.

“Where did you lean to cook?” Beau asked as he dried his hands on a towel.

“My parents run an inn. I pretty much grew up in the kitchen, learning recipes from my grandmother,” Keegan explained, a fond smile forming on his lips. “I don’t tell a lot of people about it because then I’m the one who gets stuck cleaning on training missions and such. Jasper is the only one I’ll make an exception for.”

Beau leaned against the counter and looked into the pot Keegan was stirring. “You’re a good friend you know that?”

Keegan looked up in surprise, his eyes meeting Beau’s. “He’s been my friend for a long time, I would so anything for him.”

“Oh please, we all know you’re nice to me to get out of half your duties,” Jasper teased when he walked back into the kitchen.

Keegan laughed softly as he poured stew into three bowls. He handed one to Beau and took the other two to a small table in the corner of the kitchen. 

Beau took a seat in his chair at his table and picked up his fork. He still couldn’t believe that all of this was his. It all felt just right and like too much all at the same time. 

“Now that I’ve cooked dinner, does that mean I don’t have to sleep on the floor tonight?” Keegan quipped. 

“Right, there is only one bed,” Beau said, setting down his fork. He looked over at Jasper, reminding himself that the prince had given up the privacy of his bed for Beau. “You could stay with me tonight if you don’t mind.”

“Oh?” Keegan asked, raising a brow.

“I don’t mind sharing a bed if you don’t,” Jasper replied, ignoring Keegan.

“I don’t,” Beau said in a quiet whisper. 

“How about I take the bed and you two can share the floor,” Keegan offered. 

“Keep talking and I’ll make you sleep outside,” Jasper grumbled.

Keegan rolled his eyes, “Fine, that’s the last time I cook for either of you.”

Keegan and Jasper continued to argue and Beau wondered if this was what it was like to have friends. Maybe one day he would have friends of his own to banter with.

The evening wound down and before Beau knew it he was in his room, standing over his bed, staring down at the sheets while Jasper changed. He told himself not to look at the prince and forced himself to pull the sheets down. The fabric was soft against his fingers and he sunk into the mattress when he sat down. 

“I made sure you had a good bed to sleep in,” Jasper explained as he crawled into bed. 

“You didn’t have to get me a whole new bed. I’m sure the one that was here was fine,” Beau said, sliding his feet under the covers. “I have slept on worse.”

“I know, that’s why I made sure you got this one. From now on, you’ll never have to sleep on worse again.”

“Jasper,” Beau sighed, rolling onto his side. “You don’t have to do any more for me then you already have.”

Jasper shrugged and laid down facing Beau. They laid like that for a long, silent minute before Jasper scooted forward. He laid a hand on Beau’s cheek and met his eyes.

“Are you still feeling overwhelmed?”

“It’s getting better,” Beau replied. “I think it will be harder when you leave.”

“Just remember that you can send me a letter at any time and if you need me, I’ll be here.”

“I appreciate that, but I don’t want you dropping everything to come out here for me.”

“Okay, then let’s make a deal,” Jasper said, scooting closer. “If it’s something I can answer in a letter, I will. If it’s something I can’t answer, but it’s not a matter of life or death I can help you with it the next time I come visit. If it is life or death then I will drop everything and come see you.”

“All right,” Beau nodded. 

Jasper nodded and slid his arm around Beau’s side, causing Beau’s heart rate to skyrocket. Jasper tucked his head under Beau’s chin, bringing their bodies close together. It was the closest they had been since before Beau accused Jasper of lying to him. 

Beau curled his hand over Jasper’s hip, memorizing the feel of Jasper’s skin. After tomorrow, this would be the last time Beau would share his bed with the prince. 

~~~  
Beau woke to Jasper still pressed against him, bringing a smile to his lips. It was nice to be able to share a bed with Jasper one last time. He let his fingers glide over Jasper’s arm, before shifting slightly. The movement cause Jasper to roll over like Beau knew it would and he climbed out of bed. When he was finished in he bathroom he contemplated going back to bed, but decided against it. Climbing back into bed meant possibly waking Jasper and Beau didn’t want to chance that. Jasper needed sleep after all the work he’d been doing.

Beau headed into the kitchen, unsurprised to see that Keegan was already up and probably outside beating up a tree; or whatever it was he did to train. When he stepped outside, he found Lua laying in a warm patch of sun and heard the distinct sound of Keegan practicing on the other side of the house. 

Testing his shoulder, Beau hoisted himself up onto the roof of the house from the small wood shed situated on the side of the house. He quietly strode across the slanted roof, his balance still there after all those months of lounging around. He found Keegan brawling with a makeshift training dummy he had made out of a sack and stuffed with who knew what. 

Beau eased onto the edge of the roof and sat down, studying Keegan’s movements. He was definitely strong and he used his size to help fight; but it was blatantly obvious by the way he protected his left side that that was his weak side. Keegan made it look like he was using his left side to block, but what he was really doing was leaving himself open for an attack from behind. Keegan gave the dummy a hard kick, causing him to curse in pain. The dummy had been moved significantly, but Keegan had also injured himself. 

“You’re putting too much force into the brunt of your kick,” Beau called. “It’s going to incapacitate both you and your enemy.”

Keegan spun around, his hands up as he crouched into a fighting stance. He looked around wildly for Beau, but seemed unable to find him. Beau huffed a laugh, leaping off the roof and landing gently on his feet.

“Saints,” Keegan growled, glaring at Beau as he straightened. “How the hells can you be so damn quiet?”

Beau smirked in bemusement. “You’re throwing too much weight into your attacks, which is going to cause you to fall on your face if your opponent dodges your attack; or cause you to injure yourself if you do land the blow. You’re also favoring your left side, which is obviously your weak side.”

Keegan scowled, “You know it’s easy to forget you’re a soldier like me when you’re sitting in bed all wounded.”

Beau snorted, “That’s probably the dumbest thing you could say to me.”

“I only said it because I know you’re not going to use it against me now. You’re too attached to Jasper to betray him.”

“Touché,” Beau replied. 

“I know my left side is a problem, I’m working on it.”

“Would you like some help?” Beau offered. “It would be good for you to practice with someone who can and will put you on the ground a few times. Plus I want to see how out of shape I am.”

“You’re pretty confident for someone who hasn’t trained in almost four months.” Keegan’s eyes went to Beau’s shoulder. “Will you be alright to train? I don’t need Jasper killing me because I re-injured your shoulder.”

“I’ve been strengthening it, but I guess this will be a good opportunity to see how much more work I need to do. If it starts to bother me I’ll stop.”

Keegan seemed appeased by the answer and moved into a fighting stance. They sparred for an hour, each time Beau easily put Keegan on the ground. Keegan would have bested Beau a few times if he hadn’t dropped back when Beau attacked from the left. Each time Keegan shifted to attack with his right side, the move left him open from the left and Beau was easily able to overtake him. Each time it happened Beau made sure Keegan knew why Beau won. Eventually the reminder pissed Keegan off enough that he demanded to know if Beau had a better technique. 

As a matter of fact, Beau did and he spent another hour helping Keegan work on strengthening his left side and fighting techniques that would make him a better fighter. Keegan had just put Beau in a loose headlock when Jasper found them. 

“Are you sparring with your bad shoulder?” Jasper demanded, looking between the two of them in disapproval. 

“Trust me, he doesn’t have to use that shoulder, or the arm attached to it,” Keegan panted as he let Beau go. “He could have only one arm, one leg, and probably half dead and still kick my ass.”

Beau stepped away from Keegan and walked over to Beau. “It felt good and I’ve been practicing by myself in your garden. I promise my shoulder isn’t bothering me.”

Jasper’s eyes flicked to Beau’s shoulder and he reached out and palpitated the appendage. When Beau didn’t react to the poking and prodding Jasper nodded and stepped away. “Then I guess I’ll go make breakfast.”

“Do you know how to cook?” Beau blurted when Jasper turned. 

Keegan burst out laughing behind them and Jasper shook his head. He turned back to look at Beau, giving him a stern look.

“You’ll eat what I cook and you’ll like it.” With that, he turned and walked back into the house.

Beau turned to look at Keegan, who was still laughing. Beau scowled and set his hands on his hips. 

“Don’t worry,” Keegan finally said. “Jasper knows how to cook. I wouldn’t let him feed you burnt food. Come on, show me that move again before we eat.”

An hour later Beau and Keegan were lured into the house by the delicious smells wafting in from the kitchen. They had to step over Lua who was asleep at the foot of the steps. She had adjusted pretty quickly to her new home. It turned out Jasper did know how to cook and he did it just as well as Keegan could. 

After breakfast Beau and Jasper continued with the garden. It helped Beau forget that once they got everything done, Jasper would be heading home. Keegan had disappeared back into the house, stating that he didn’t do gardening. 

By late afternoon, the seeds had been planted and the plots had been marked. It had been tiring, but it felt good to have something Beau had made for himself. Keegan was busy in the kitchen, cooking several meals and putting them into containers. He was labeling all of them and writing down instructions. 

“They’re starter meals, to help you get settled. I figured learning to cook was going to take some time, so I wrote down some recipes to start with.”

A slow smile drew up the corners of Beau’s lips and he squeezed Keegan’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Keegan lifted a shoulder and tilted his head. “Take care of yourself and don’t get into any trouble.”

Beau snorted.

“You suck at goodbyes,” Jasper grunted, shoving Keegan out of the way.

Keegan rolled his eyes and left the house, leaving Jasper and Beau alone. 

Jasper looked around the kitchen and took a step closer. “Are you going to be alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” Beau replied, ignoring the twinge in his chest at the oncoming goodbye. 

Jasper nodded and stepped even closer. “Anything you need, you let me know.”

“I will,” Beau whispered. He wanted to pull Jasper into his arms and hold onto him until Jasper agreed to stay. Instead Beau stood stock still. Jasper had his own life and he had already done so much for Beau. Asking Jasper to stay would be selfish. “Just, promise me you’ll stay safe when the war starts up again.”

“I will, I promise,” Jasper sighed. He met Beau’s eyes for a moment before leaning in and kissing his cheek. “Good bye, Beau.”

“Good bye, Jasper.”

~~~  
“You wanted to stay with him didn’t you?” Keegan asked, his voice soft and void of any judgement. 

Jasper lifted his head from the window on the carriage and looked at his best friend. “I couldn’t have stayed, you know that.”

“But you wanted to?” Keegan pressed.

Jasper’s lips pressed into a thin line and he studied Keegan. “Yes, I wanted to stay with him, and yes I wanted something more with him. You don’t even like him, so why do you care?” 

Keegan shrugged, “I just wanted you to finally admit it. Maybe now that you’ve admitted it, he will too.”

Jasper shook his head and returned to staring out the window. 

“Besides,” Keegan continued, “he’s not a bad guy. I liked spending time with him.”

“I never thought I would hear you say that,” Jasper muttered. 

Keegan shrugged again. “You were right, Beau isn’t the monster everyone thinks he is. We might have even become friends if we could have spent more time together.”

Jasper smiled, happy that Keegan had had a change of heart when it came to Beau. The rest of the trip was spent in relaxed silence, while Jasper dozed. When they finally arrived home, they were greeted by a young servant who had been sent to wait for them. 

“The king apologizes for summoning you so soon after your arrival, but he needs to speak to you immediately,” the servant said, bowing low. 

“Is something wrong?” Jasper asked, his stomach clenching with nerves.   
“I’m sorry, your highness, but I don’t know. I was only told to wait here until you arrived home and tell you your father needed to speak with you.”  
“Thank you,” Jasper told the boy, hurrying off without a backwards glance. 

He made it to his father’s office and pushed open the door. He found his father, brother, and several of their generals standing in the room, looking grim. 

“Jasper,” his father said, waving him closer. “I’m sorry to summon you so soon.”

“It’s alright,” Jasper replied. “What’s going on?”

Frederic cleared his throat and took a heavy breath. “I went to check on our men stationed at the border and found them all slaughtered.”

Jasper felt sick. The Padoleans had just started the war again, by killing unsuspecting men and women. They had just heard from the border, stating that there was increased activity on the Padolean side, but nothing too concerning. The had requested more men just incase there was an attack and Frederic had headed out there to assess the situation himself.

“All of them?” Jasper asked, his voice shaky.

Frederic nodded, “The Padolean camp was empty, but we tracked them down to a farmhouse they had taken over. They had gutted the family that lived there and hung them up in a tree. We killed those who wouldn’t surrender and took the rest prisoners. Most of the Padolean soldiers were just children, dragged out of their homes and forced to fight.”

“This should have never happened?” the king said sorrowfully.

Jasper had spent enough time with his father to know how hard it was to keep the balance in Arabenda, while teetering on the verge of war. They wouldn’t strike first in a war they didn’t believe they needed to be in and they had hoped the redeclaration of war was Padolean soldiers marching into the country, not slaughtering two dozen in the middle of the night. 

“I say we bomb the entire country and be done with it,” General Keesa said coldly. He had always believed that Padolea was just a flaw on the world that needed to be wiped away. 

“I will not sink to their level and kill innocent people,” the king replied sternly. “The bomb is a last resort and I will not act on it.”

“Then they will kill us all,” General Penchant snarled. 

“We have defeated them in battle before and we took down their Shadow,” Jasper said, bristling at the tension in the room. I wasn’t the first time his father had been challenged by his generals, but it always annoyed Jasper and Frederic. “I am sure we will figure something out to hold them off again. The Padolean soldiers don’t want to fight us either, maybe there is a way we can persuade them to help us.”

“And what do you plan on doing? Walk through their camps and ask them for help?” General Keesa demanded.

“Watch your tone when you are speaking to your prince,” Frederic growled. 

Jasper’s expression hardened and he glared at the general. “I am not suggesting we do something so stupid,” he replied in a cold tone. “I am suggesting that we try to subdue and take as many of the Padolean soldiers we can during a battle. We should be taking care of them, not killing them after everything they’ve been through.”

“It’s a good idea,” Frederic interjected, giving his brother a proud look. “The boys we brought in were nearly starved and several of them were sick. We need to be giving aid to as many of those soldiers as possible. Bringing them into our care would be a lot better then what the Padoleans will do to them if they loose the battle.”

“And where do you plan on keeping them ?” General Keesa asked in almost a mocking tone. 

The king shot him a warning look. “We will set up camps and have them stocked with all the supplied they will need. They will have to live in close quarters, but we’ll make do.”

“You want to give them supplies that we need for our own people?” 

“You know we have enough supplies to sustain our people and any soldiers we take on,” the king hissed. “I understand this is war, but I will not neglect those who didn’t have a choice to fight in it. If we can gain information from the soldiers than it will help shorten the length of this war.”

General Keesa ground his teeth and nodded. The others didn’t question the idea as they formed a plan on where to set up the camps and where they were going to have to send more troops. 

Military presence was going to have to increase in the cities. They had a solid plan, but it seemed to Jasper that his father had his own plan he wasn’t going to divulge to the others. 

In two hours they had sent out scouts to locate the Padolean armies and keep an eye on them. Frederic and Jasper were to meet with their uncles to discuss preparing their troops and medics. 

They reconvened in the kings office later that evening to discuss their finalized plans. 

Jasper didn’t get back to his room until after his morning shift at the hospital. He was more than exhausted, but it had all been worth it to know he was helping people who were being forced into a war that wasn’t theirs. 

He collapsed on his bed, ready to sleep until tomorrow morning. A soft ‘hoo’ caught his attention and he looked up to see Beau’s owl perched on his bedside table. A smile formed on Jasper’s lips and he rolled over and climbed off the bed. He might be exhausted, but he wasn’t tired enough he couldn’t read and respond to Beau’s first letter.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised I did manage to get another chapter posted. We head home on Sunday, which means back to my crazy life and a slow update schedule. 
> 
> Sorry guys, I know I take so long to post. I try not to, but life with live animals doesn't always go smooth.
> 
> On a good note I do have the next chapter written on paper, I just have to find the time to type it. Fingers crossed it will be soon.

Jasper crouched behind the two automatons protecting him as he worked on cutting a pant leg off of an injured soldier. Bullets pinged off their armor and every once in a while their bodies shook when something bigger hit them. Keegan and Havela stood on either side of Jasper and the man he was tending to, shooting anyone who got close.

“You’ve got to move faster, Jasp,” Keegan rasped as he reloaded his gun. 

“I’ve got to clamp off this artery or he’ll bleed to death,” Jasper replied, tying off a tourniquet. 

He worked as quickly as possible without compromising the man’s leg. It took a little more work to get him stable and he quickly waved over the other medics. Jasper quickly cleaned his things and shoved them in his bag, while Keegan and Havela made sure the area around them was secure so they could move swiftly over the battlefield. 

It had been a month since the slaughter at the border and the Padoleans were throwing everything they had at them. It was brutal and bloody, but Arabenda was holding strong. The Padolean soldiers they had taken into custody were very willing to help, giving them every piece of information they had on the Padolean’s plan. The king was also getting information from an unknown source that had proven helpful many times. Though the information checked out, Frederic and Jasper worried that their father’s informant was stringing him along and the information could turn bad at any moment. 

“There is a man over there,” Havela said, pointing to someone writhing on the ground. 

They made their way towards him, Jasper immediately recognizing the brown Padolean uniform. The man didn’t look a day over seventeen, his eyes wild as Jasper approached him. Jasper dropped to his knees, dodging a hand when the boy tried to shove Jasper away. Jasper tried to sooth him, but the boy’s movements became more erratic. 

“Please,” he begged, “leave me to die.” 

“Relax, I want to help. No one is going to hurt you,” Jasper whispered.

The boy shook his head, his eyes growing wilder. “Please, I don’t want to be tortured.”

“No one is going to torture you,” Jasper said softly, quickly reaching for a sedative in his bag. 

“No,” the man cried. He tried to shove Jasper away, his hand going to his belt. 

Jasper’s fingers had just curled around a syringe when the boy drove a dagger into Jasper’s thigh. Jasper gave a sharp cry of pain and Keegan was on the boy immediately, sinking the needle into the man’s neck. Havela dragged Jasper back, cursing as he looked down at the dagger. 

“Saints, your brother is going to kill me,” Keegan growled, waving over the medics.

“It’s not that bad,” Jasper grunted as he was placed on a stretcher. 

“Wait until the adrenaline wears off,” Havela responded. To the medics he said, “Get him into surgery now.”

“No,” Jasper held up a hand. “I just need to take the dagger out and stitch the wound. I don’t need surgery and if I did, I could wait. There are others who are in more need of surgery than me.”

Keegan opened his mouth to protest, but Jasper shot him a look to shut him up. Instead Keegan grunted to the medics to get moving.

An hour later Jasper was laying on a cot in one of the mobile hospitals, helping a nurse extract the knife from his leg. He stitched his own leg to Keegan and Havela’s disapproval. The nurse hd just finished bandaging Jasper’s wound when Frederic burst into the hospital, a long gash on his forehead. 

He stormed angrily up to Keegan and Havela, his nose flaring. “I told the two of you to protect your prince,” he yelled, causing the room to fall silent.

“Frederic, stop,” Jasper hissed. “This is a hospital and people are healing. Stop yelling.” Frederic scowled at him, but didn’t say more so Jasper continued. “I was helping a Padolean soldier. He was scared and thought I was going to torture him. He begged me to let him die and probably stabbed me in hopes that Keegan or Havela would end his life. I think the Padoleans are telling their soldiers that we are torturing them for information.” 

Frederic’s lips pursed, hi sharp eyes glancing between Keegan and Havela. “Fine, I’ll let it go this time. Besides, this will be a good reason for you to go home.”

“Fre-”

“Father requested it before all this happened. We have a final meeting with the council before they make their decision. Get some rest, we’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

Jasper nodded, watching his brother leave the hospital before scooting to the edge of the bed. 

“What are you doing?” Keegan demanded. 

“I need to see the boy who stabbed me. I want to make sure he’s okay and I want to talk to him.”

“Saints, can’t you stay still and do what you’re told for once?” Havela exclaimed, frustration finally showing on his face.

Keegan also looked like he was about to smack Jasper, but he did snicker at Havela’s outburst. 

“Watch your tone, that’s your prince you’re talking to,” Keegan teased. 

“I have no idea how you do this all the time,” Havel grumbled, following behind Jasper.

“Keegan is constantly ready to throttle me at any moment,” Jasper tossed over his shoulder, along with a cheeky smile. 

“You keep stressing your brother out and I;ll have to do it as a favor to him,” Keegan growled and Havela groaned. 

Jasper merely chuckled and headed to the guarded quarters where the Padolean soldiers were held. The boy had been held in a separate room at Frederic’s request, which made it easier for Jasper to speak with him. 

Jasper was glad to see the boy was calmer when he stepped into the room. Now that the blood and dirt was cleared away, Jasper could see the bruises covering the boy’s right side. There was a bandage around his chest to bind his broken ribs and a bandage on his arm where a bullet had torn trough the skin. Now that he was cleaned up it was also easy to tell the boy was Califan; a small country on the coast. The Padolean’s had conquered the country three years ago and had been stripping their land of everything they had, including their people. 

The boy had a bowl of broth in his hands, but he had forgotten it and was staring wide eyed at Jasper. 

“I’m glad to see you’re doing better,” Jasper said softly. He waved Keegan and Havela off, shutting the door in their faces when they tried to enter the room. 

The boy gave a small nod, his hands starting to tremble. “I-I’m sorry I stabbed you,” he stammered, shaking hard enough that the broth sloshed in the bowl. 

Jasper moved slowly to the bed, careful not to scare the boy anymore than he already was. He took the bowl and set it on the bedside table and took a seat on the edge of the bed.  
“You don’t have to apologize, you were scared and you thought I was a threat. I would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes.”

“They said you were the Arabendian prince. They told me I would be punished for stabbing you.”

Jasper shook his head, “I will talk to my brother and make sure no one hurts you.” Jasper smiled softly and leaned forward. “You can call me Jasper, what’s your name.” 

“Pierce,” the boy replied, calming a little. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Pierce.” Jasper reached out and touched Pierce’s hand. “Have the Padoleans been rough to you?”

Pierce nodded, “When the Padoleans came to my town my father told them that no one in his home would be fighting in the war. They killed him in front of my mother and two sisters. They were going to take me anyway, but as punishment for not defying my father and joining the army immediately, they beat me. We had n training either. They just handed us weapons and told us to march. Anyone who was too slow and fell behind were beaten. They refused to give us water and food. They told us we could eat once we won the war.”

“That’s not going to happen now,” Jasper said softly. His anger was boiling beneath the surface, but he would have to let it out later. “You’re safe here and we will take care of you and everyone else who was dragged into this war.”

Pierce nodded as tears filled his eyes. He clutched Jasper’s hand tightly as he fought to control his tears. “They told us you would torture us for fighting for the Padoleans. They said you ere worse than they were.”

Jasper reached up and wiped Pierce’s tears away. “No one is going to torture you. I promise that we will do everything to keep you safe.” 

~~~  
The palace was filled with tension when Jasper and Frederic arrived. The ongoing war and the impending meeting with the council was stressing everyone out.

Jasper and Frederic had spent the night talking about what the council was expecting from them this time when Beau’s owl arrived with a letter.

Frederic teased that Jasper was the only one who would get letters from an admirer during a war. Jasper explained that it was from the man he had helped get back on his feet after his injury, but refused to let Frederic read the letter. Eventually Frederic gave up trying to read the note, suggesting that Jasper should go to visit the man while he was healing. He then left for his own room, leaving Jasper and his letter alone. 

It had been the first time in a while that they had been able to spend some time with each other and Jasper wondered if that would change after tonight. 

They hurried to their father’s office to discuss their meeting and were surprised to find their father speaking with one of their meteorologists. 

“What’s going on?” Frederic asked. 

The king looked up, his eyes looking over his sons. He slid around his desk and moved towards, them, pulling both his son’s into a hug. 

“I know the two of you have been injured before, but I always worry when I get news that you’ve been hurt. I’m glad the both of you are home safe.”

Jasper smiled and returned his father’s hug. When they pulled away, the king motioned to the meteorologist. 

“We’ve got some rain coming in and I wanted to check with Lita and see if we would have any issues.”

“Will we?” Jasper asked, his mind turning to Beau. 

“There is a hurricane making landfall as we speak. By the time it reaches us it will have lost most of its power, but we’re still going to get some heavy rain,” Lita explained. “We might even have some heavy winds and thunder storms. I’m mostly worried about the crops and some of the towns located in the valleys being susceptible to flooding.”

“I’ve sent messengers out to warn the farmers,” the king told them. “Frederic, I need you to head out to the closest cities and towns and let them know about the impending storm. Jasper, I know you want to help, but I want you to rest.”

“Actually, I was hoping I could take Keegan and visit a friend. He doesn’t handle bad weather well and I would like to be there to help him.”

The kings eyes flashed knowingly, which surprised Jasper. Who was it his father thought he was going to visit? It’s not like anyone knew about Beau. 

“Alright, so long as you relax while you’re there. Now, the two of you need to prepare yourselves to meet the council tonight.”

~~~

Beau ripped another weed out of his garden, glaring at the plant before tossing it aside. In the month he had been in his new home Beau’s garden had prospered. Unfortunately, the weeds were doing even better. He had weeded the garden a few times and every time the weeds came back just as resilient as before. Maybe he should ask Jasper if there was a way to get rid of them in his next letter.

At the thought of Jasper, Beau’s skin started to tingle. The feelings Beau had hoped would dissipate over time had only grown. He missed Jasper and the longing for him grew every day. More than once Beau wondered if he had made a mistake letting Jasper leave. It was harder at night when Beau was forced to sleep in his bed alone. The pillow Jasper had used no longer smelled like him, but Beau still held onto it every night. Beau’s only salvation was the letters he got every day and the knowledge that Jasper would come to visit him if Beau asked. 

Before Beau could ponder that thought anymore, a noise cause Lua to jump up and race to the other side of the house.

“Lua,” Beau called, grumbling when she didn’t listen. 

Beau had been working on training her, but the minute something exciting happened, she was a lost cause. At least she had learned to stay near the house, regardless of how exciting things were. 

Beau followed Lua around the house and found her happily making friends with a goat. 

“What the hells?” Beau muttered, making his way to the two. The goat bleated at him, but didn’t run away when Beau stopped in front of him… her? He had no idea where the goat had cone from and he hadn’t traveled away from his own house to know if there was anyone nearby to ask. 

“Tully,” a woman’s voice called and Beau tensed. 

One of the reasons he hadn’t left the safety of his own home was because he had no idea how people would react to learning a Padolean lived close to their families. The last thing Beau wanted now that he had his own home was to be greeted with hostility by his neighbors. Now he was going to have to face whoever it was that had lost their goat and hope they didn’t blame him for the things his country had done. 

The young woman who had called for her goat emerged from the trees, her Blue eyes catching on Beau. She froze at the sight of him, causing whosever was behind her to as if she was alright. An older man stepped into the clearing, his eyes following his daughter’s until he spotted Beau. 

“Hello,” the man called, making his way to Beau. “I didn’t realize anyone had moved into this place.” He stopped in front of Beau and held out his hand. “I’m Amos.”

Beau made sure his face expressed weariness as he looked down at Amos’s hands. He wanted himself to look as harmless as possible, hoping these people wouldn’t think the worse of him.   
Amos dropped his hand, but instead of taking his goat and leaving like Beau had hopped, he stepped closer to Beau. “Don’t worry, I know you’re Padolean, but you wont find a quarrel with us. We know this war has been hard on you too and you’re here instead of fighting the battle, so you obviously have no part in this.”

“Fighting?” Beau asked worriedly. He could have told the man he was wrong about Beau’s involvement; but the implication that the war had started and probably had started before Jasper had moved Beau into his house was hard for Beau to swallow. That meant Jasper had known about the war and hadn’t said anything about it to Beau. 

Amos flinched and nodded. “About a month ago a group of Padoleans crossed the boarder and slaughtered a group of Arabendian soldiers stationed there. We’ve been fighting ever since. You didn’t know?”

Beau shook his head, his frown deepening. “I had been badly injured in the first war and spent the last few months in a hospital. I left the hospital and moved into my home.”

“Probably for the best,” Amos nodded. “If you didn’t know, no one could blame you for being part of it.”

Beau frowned and met Amos’s eyes. “I don’t want any trouble now.”

“And you wont,” Amos said softly. It was the same tone Jasper had used whenever he wanted to keep Beau calm and it sent a pang of longing through him. 

“I’m Beau,” Beau finally said hesitantly. 

“It’s nice to meet you. This is my daughter Emma and our goat Tully. We sell goats milk and cheese in town. Have you been to town?” Amos asked curiously. 

Beau shook his head, “I’ve been doing fine with what I have.”

Amos nodded, his smile softening even more. “Well, when you find the need to go, there are plenty of refugees that have fled their countries for one reason or another. You would be welcome there.”

“I’ll think about it,” Beau said noncommittally.

Amos nodded and looked at his daughter. “We better get going, it’s almost time for evening milking.” He turned back to Beau and met his eyes, unafraid of the killer standing so close to him. “I’m sure we’ll see you again. Once my wife finds out you’re here she’ll want to have you over for dinner.” 

“But I’m a stranger,” Beau blurted. 

“That’s what dinner is for,” Amos chuckled. “To get to know you.”

Amos turned to his daughter who was watching Beau curiously. When she realized she was being watched, her cheeks reddened and she quickly looked away. Beau was pretty sure these people weren’t going to leave him alone until he had dinner with them. 

"It was nice meeting you, I’ll send Emma down with some cheese tomorrow.”

Beau nodded and waved as the family walked away. Now that the excitement was over, Lua came back to Beau and sat next to him. He tail wagging causing the grass to fling everywhere. Well, at least someone was happy about the encounter. 

~~~  
Beau sat on the roof of his house, watching the sun rise. Emma had come early that morning and dropped off a basket of warm baked bread and some goats cheese. Now Beau sat, smearing soft cheese on the bread and eating it slowly. As the morning came, it was growing cloudy and the wind had been steadily picking up. The wet smell of the air had Beau thinking about rain and it terrified him.

This would be the first time he would have to deal with the weather alone and he wasn’t sure he would be able to handle it. He had wanted to say something to Jasper in his morning letter, but with the war raging, Beau knew Jasper had his hands full. The last thing Beau wanted to do was add more stress to Jasper’s day. It was probably the same reason Jasper hadn’t said anything about the war to Beau.

Beau sighed and leaned back, taking another bite of his breakfast. The sound of wheels bouncing over the road caught his attention and he rolled onto his stomach. Lua spotted the carriage first, barking excitedly as Beau sank lower on the roof. As the carriage came into view, Beau immediately recognized the blue colored carriage and his heart leapt in his chest. That carriage was carrying Jasper and it made Beau’s heart leap in his chest. 

Lua trotted to the carriage, following it at it rolled towards the house. Keegan was the first out of the carriage, followed by Jasper. The two of them looked exhausted and Jasper had a limp he hadn’t had when Beau had seen him last. A bolt of worry went through Beau and he worried that Jasper had been injured during the war. Though the thought of Jasper being injured worried him, Beau found that he could breath easier not that Jasper was here. 

He waited quietly, watching as Jasper moved away from the carriage and towards the door. Jasper paused at the edge of the stairs to pet Lua and Beau took the chance to drop from the roof. Both Keegan and Jasper startled violently. 

“Saints,” Keegan swore. “Do you have to do that?” 

Beau smirked and turned to Jasper, his smile softening. “Hi,” he said softly.

“Hello,” Jasper said with a small laugh. “How are you doing?”

“Alright,” Beau replied, “but what are you doing here?”

Jasper shrugged, “I had some time off, so I figured I would come see how you’re doing.”

Beau wanted to ask if Jasper really had time off, or was he injured during a battle and he had to take time off to heal. A glance at Keegan didn’t tell him anything either and Beau didn’t want to bring it up just yet. 

Instead, Beau looked back at Jasper and smiled. “It’s good to see you again.”

Jasper reached out and gently touched Beau’s hands, sending a tingle up Beau’s arm. “I told you I would come visit.”

Beau invited them inside ad Lua trotted happily beside them. Keegan clapped Beau on the shoulder when they were inside and Beau was happy to know that Keegan had finally warmed up to him. 

“How is the garden doing?” Jasper asked. 

“How is the food doing?” Keegan added, poking around the pantry. 

“The garden is growing, but I’m having trouble with the weeds. Cooking isn’t going as well. Luckily the family that owns the goat farm down the road keeps me well stocked in goat cheese and bread.”

“You made friends?” Jasper asked excitedly.

Beau shrugged, “Their goat got loose and wandered into my yard. Ever since them they’ve been sending me food.”

“I’m glad and I’m sure Keegan would love to give you some cooking pointers. As for the garden, let’s take a look and see what we can do about it.”

Beau nodded and went to follow Jasper out of the house, but Keegan caught his arm. Jasper glanced back at them, but didn’t say anything before leaving the house. 

“What’s wrong?” Beau asked when Jasper was out of earshot.

“I don’t know the whole reason why were here. Jasper mentioned about having a few days of rain and that we needed to see you.”

Beau nodded, meeting Keegan’s eyes. “And how is the war going?”

Keegan swore heavily. “You weren’t supposed to know. Jasper thought it would be a good idea if you were kept out of it completely.”

Beau nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “What did he do to his leg?”

“He was helping a boy who had been forced into the Padolean army. He had been told that we were torturing them because they fought for Padolea. He stabbed Jasper out of fear. The wound isn’t bad, but he’s stuck home until he heals. That’s another reason why we’re here.”

Beau nodded, hiding his fear at the mention of rain. He had figured rain was coming by the change in the air, but the thought of a few days of rain caused Beau’s hear to race. Thankfully he wouldn’t have to go at it alone anymore. He had Jasper and though he didn’t want Keegan to see him that weak; Beau did feel good having him here too. 

Keegan looked Beau over and released his arm, “You better get out there before Jasper comes looking for you.”

Beau nodded, stepping outside and smiling when he found Jasper tossing sticks for Lua. He spotted Beau and tossed the stick one last time before making his way back to him. When he got to Beau, he slid his arms around Beau’s neck and pulled him into a hug. 

“You look good,” Jasper whispered, nuzzling Beau’s cheek.

Beau sighed and returned the hug, pressing his face into Jasper’s shoulder. Gods, he missed this man. “You do too,” Beau whispered. “You hurt your leg.”

“Nothing big, just hurt myself at work.”

Beau wanted call Jasper on his lie, but he wasn’t willing to ruin their reunion. He did still give Jasper a disapproving look and Jasper replied with a kiss to Beau’s cheek.

“I missed you,” Jasper sighed against Beau’s skin.

Beau’s heart leapt in his chest and he took Jasper’s hands. “I missed you too.” They pulled away and Jasper flashed Beau a gentle smile. For a moment they stared at each other and Beau was tempted to lean in a kiss Jasper’s lips. He restrained himself, unsure if Jasper would approve. 

“We should take a look at the garden. Keegan and I can stay for a week if you want and help you with whatever you need.”

“I would like that,” Beau replied, turning towards the garden. 

While they worked, his hands ached to touch Jasper again and he used that to work harder on whatever it was Jasper told him to do. Jasper showed him how to naturally get rid of the weeds and showed him how to use the flowers that were already starting to bloom. Once they were finished in the garden and were returning the things to the small shed they had built by the garden, Jasper hesitated once he shut the door.

“There is another reason I’m here,” Jasper confessed. 

“The rain?” Beau asked. 

“Saint’s, Keegan,” Jasper growled. “What else did he tell you?”

Beau shrugged and met Jasper’s eyes. “That’s all, is it going to be bad?”

“Heavy rain, high winds, and some thunder. I thought about you when I found out and I didn’t want you to go through this alone.”

“I appreciate that,” Beau whispered. 

“We’re going to have to prepare the garden and the house for the rain. The last you need is for the house to flood. Keegan and I will do anything to help you too. I also brought a few sedatives to help you through the storms.”

Beau was shaking his head before Jasper had finished his sentence. “My father used to sedate me when I started my… training. I still have parts of my memory that are black from that time.”

A look of guilt crossed Jasper’s face. “Saints, I’m sorry. I never thought of that.”

“You didn’t know, Jasper and I know you’re only suggesting it to be helpful.”

Jasper nodded and pulled Beau back into. “I forget there still isn’t a lot I know about you.”

“I don’t like telling people because I’ve learned that they like to use it against me.” Beau hesitated, soaking in Jasper’s warmth. “But I could try to tell you anything you want to know.”

“I don’t want you to force yourself, when you’re ready I’ll be here.”

Beau wanted to tell him that wasn’t true. By the end of the week Jasper would be gone and gods only knew when he would be back. If he would be back at all.

They went back to work, building a temporary barrier around and over the garden. They also placed a barrier against the back door and once they were inside for the night, Jasper would put one at the front door too. The shutters and windows were secured and they made a little area for Lua to go outside. 

It still hadn’t started raining by the time they finished, but the looming black clouds were rolling in quickly. Keegan had been busy himself, putting the carriage somewhere where it would be safe and hidden. He had also placed bags in front of the doors that would absorb any water that came into the house. Keegan prepared a few meals they could eat if they lost electricity and got stuck in the house. He also promised to keep an eye on the house when the weather got bad. 

“Are you doing alright?” Jasper asked, pulling back the sheets on Beau’s bed. It was late and the both of them were exhausted. 

“I’m fine,” Beau replied tensely. He knew Jasper didn’t believe him, but he didn’t point it out.

Jasper moved towards Beau, sliding his hand under Beau’s shirt and pressing his hand against Beau’s back. “You’re going to be okay, I’ll be here.”

“Thank you,” Jasper sighed. 

Jasper smiled and kissed Beau’s cheek. He coaxed Beau into bed and pulled Beau into his arms. Jasper continued to rub Beau’s back, whispering soothing words to him until they finally fell asleep.   
Beau didn’t know how long he was able to sleep before he was awoken by a loud clash of thunder. He flailed in bed, reaching for Jasper and finding himself alone.

“Jasper,” Beau called in a shaky voice. 

When he didn’t get an answer Beau wondered if he had dreamed Jasper’s arrival. That meant he had dreamt all the work they had done and now his garden was flowing away and Beau couldn’t do anything about it because he was paralyzed in bed. 

“I’m here,” Jasper’s voice broke through Beau’s fear. 

“Are you okay?” Beau asked, dragging Jasper into bed when Jasper took his hand. 

“I’m fine, I just wanted to check the windows and make sure Keegan was fine.” 

“And?” Beau prompted, burying his face in Jasper’s chest when Jasper nodded.

Rain pelted the side of the house and Beau closer to Jasper.

“Breath, Beau,” Jasper soothed, running his hands down Beau’s back. 

Beau drew in a short breath, digging his fingers into Jasper’s back. Jasper shifted, scooting down so he was face to face with Beau. He gently took Beau’s face in his hands and kissed his forehead. The touch calmed Beau a little and Beau tilted his head up.

“Kiss me again,” he whispered.

Jasper smiled, leaning forward to press his soft lips to Beau. Beau hummed, his body relaxing further. He tried to chase Jasper’s lips when he pulled away, but Jasper just tucked Beau’s head under his chin. Jasper continued to caress Beau’s back, keeping him calm and relaxed until Beau was able to fall asleep again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that another chapter in a timely fashion!! I am home from vacation so life is getting wild, but I do have some downtime between babies and the start of the holidays. (Which at my retail job, Christmas ornaments start in July and get crazy form there)
> 
> I am thinking about making a FB page just to keep you all updated on stuff. I did have a FB profile before, but it was close when FB changed their rules about having a profile for 'business' or whatever. Would you be interested in that, or do you want me to do it on some other social media platform? Let me know!

Jasper was relieved to find Beau still asleep in his arms when he woke. It had taken two hours to get Beau calm enough the relax and much longer to get him to doze. Once the rain had lightened enough that it couldn’t be heard beating against the house, Beau was able to relax enough in Jasper’s arms that he could fall into a deep sleep. Jasper laid quietly for a moment, watching ad Beau’s eyes flittered in his sleep. His breathing was slow and just like the first time Jasper had watched him sleep, Jasper felt like he was looking at the face of an old soul. 

The thought made Jasper smile as he slowly wiggled himself out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Once he took care of himself, he headed back into the bedroom and was disappointed to see that Beau was out of bed and slipping past him into the bathroom. Frowning, Jasper looked between the bed and the bathroom door. He had hoped to spend more time with Beau in bed, possibly kissing him the way Beau had asked him to kiss him the night before. After a second Jasper decided spending more time in bed even if he was alone was a better idea then getting up and staying up now. 

Jasper groaned when his stitches pulled and he buried his face into a pillow, breathing in Beau’s scent. He let his body relaxed and he dozed until he heard the bathroom door open again. Jasper tried to listen for Beau’s footsteps as he crossed the room; but even with the weight ad muscle he’d put on, Beau was still silent as ever. Jasper rolled over to the side of the bed Beau had slept on the night before and opened his arms, inviting Beau to join him. Beau huffed a laugh and a moment later he joined Jasper in bed. 

“Jasper,” Beau whispered, curling close to him. 

Jasper hummed and opened his eyes. Beau’s skin had darkened from his time in the sun, making his partly blue eyes brighter. The stress the rain had caused part of Beau’s left eye and almost all of his right eye to turn brown. 

“I miss this,” Beau confessed, pulling Jasper closer. “I miss you.” 

“I miss you too,” Jasper breathed, combing his fingers through Beau’s hair. “Keegan teased me the whole way here that he was surprised I waited a whole month to see you.”

Beau huffed a laugh, rubbing a hand over Jasper’s chest. “You missed me that much?”

Jasper rolled onto his elbow and looked down at Beau. I think the both of us missed each other more than we’re willing to admit.”

Beau’s eyes jumped and he quickly glanced at Jasper’s lips. “Is that why you kissed me last night?”

“Well,” Jasper whispered, “you kind of asked me to.”

Beau mirrored Jasper’s smirk and Jasper felt his heart jump. 

“And if I asked you now?” Beau prompted. “Would you kiss me?”

Jasper answered by leaning down and bringing their lips together. Though Beau had asked, he tensed when Jasper pressed closer. There was uncertainty in his eyes when Jasper pulled away and Beau blinked up at him. 

“What’s wrong?” Jasper whispered, pulling back further. 

Beau grabbed for him, pulling him back. “I’m sorry,” Beau replied, his cheeks darkening. “You’re the first person whose ever kissed me.”

Jasper jerked back in surprise, “Really?”

Beau nodded, sliding a hand up Jasper’s arm. “There was a… young man I was with years ago. He never kissed me on the lips, but there was one spot he found that I enjoyed.”  
Beau’s fingers went to his neck, sliding over a spot just below his ear. Jasper took the opportunity and took Beau’s hand, leaning down to lightly kiss the spot. Beau drew in a sharp breath and tilted his head back. Jasper smiled when he pulled back, pressing a kiss to Beau’s lips. 

“This young man,” Jasper pressed gently. “Was he a lover, or did he take what he wanted from you?”

A pained look crossed Beau’s face and he looked away. “I was hoping you didn’t figure that out. I guess there was no way to hide it, you’ve seen my body.” Beau paused and squeezed his eyes closed. “No, Tegan was a lover and he was good to me. He never forced anything on me I didn’t want.”

Jasper nodded, caressing Beau face. “I know this isn’t a conversation you want to have now, but yes. When I took you off that battlefield and cleaned you up it was evident that you had been raped.”

Beau opened his eyes and pressed his cheek against Jasper’s hand. “Will that affect what we’re doing?”

“On thing I want you to understand, Beau; is that anyone who is disgusted by you because of what the others did to you, does not deserve anything from you.”

Beau gave him a shy smile. “I should know by now that you’ll still want me after everything that I’ve been through. You make me feel the same way I felt with Tegan. I forgot how good it felt.” Beau slid his fingers into Jasper’s hair and tugged gently. “Will you show me how to kiss?”

Jasper’s heart fluttered from Beau’s honesty and he leaned down and pressed their lips together. It took a few moments, but Jasper finally got Beau to return the kiss. Jasper deepened the kiss, coaxing Beau’s mouth open and slid his tongue into Beau’s mouth. 

Beau pulled in a sharp breath and pulled away. He laughed almost joyously for the first time since they had met. 

“Is that what kissing is?”

“Does that mean you didn’t like?” Jasper asked uncertainly. 

Beau gave him a real playful smirk. “Kiss me again and then I’ll decide.”

Jasper obliged and they stayed in bed for several more minutes, kissing and lightly touching. Once Beau was comfortable he joined in, pushing his tongue into Jasper’s mouth and sliding his arms around Jasper’s neck. Jasper tried to move closer, but the pull of his stitches reminded him that he was injured. He jerked back with a hiss of pain and Beau startled.

“Did I hurt you?” Beau asked, moving further away from Jasper.

“No, it wasn’t you,” Jasper replied, taking Beau’s arm and halting his progress. Jasper sat up, pulling his legs out from under the covers and rubbing around the bandage on his thigh.   
Beau noticed the bandage and reached out to touch it. “What did you do?”

“I had a patient who was scared and he lashed out at me. It’s not bad, the stitches just pull a little.”

Beau nodded even though he seemed disappointed by the answer. When he met Jasper’s eyes there was a look of hesitation in them. “You can’t stay here, so what does that mean for us when you leave?”

Jasper reached up and cupped Beau’s face in his hands and he leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. “Let’s not worry about that now.” Before Beau could protest, Jasper kissed him again. “We should go downstairs and see how Keegan is doing.”

“Before it rains again?” Beau shivered as he followed Jasper out of bed.

Keegan was cooking breakfast when they stepped into the kitchen. Lua laid on the floor by the door, her coat wet. Proof that it was still raining outside. 

“Hey,” Keegan greeted, setting two plates of eggs on the counter. “While you two were sleeping in, I checked the house, garden and carriage. You’ll both be happy to know that everything is doing fine.”

“Thank you, Keegan,” Jasper said and Beau echoed the thanks. 

They sat down to eat and Jasper took the opportunity to take Beau’s hand. A smile turned up the corner’s of Beau’s lips and he laced their fingers together. Though their hands were below the counter, Keegan immediately picked up on it and he groaned.

“Ugh, you two finally decided to get all lovey-dovey didn’t you?” he growled, rolling his eyes. 

“Yup,” Jasper replied with a smirk. “Maybe you should have stopped teasing me about it.”

“Well, it’s about damn time. Couldn’t stand seeing you moping around all he time because you missed him.”

Jasper glared at his best friend, his face heating. Beau squeezed his hand under the counter. Beau was watching Jasper with a soft smile and when Jasper turned to look at him, Beau leaned forward. 

“If it makes you feel better, I may have moped a little because I missed you too,” he whispered. 

“Saints, I think I preferred it better when you were trying to kill Frederic,” Keegan grumbled. 

Beau’s laugh was quickly cut off when the skies opened up and the rain pounded against the house. Jasper was on his feet, pulling Beau out of his chair and shielding him from Keegan. Beau was breathing heavy and his hands shook when he reached for Jasper. Jasper wrapped Beau up in his arms, holding him close. Keegan’s chair scraped across the floor and when Jasper glanced at him, Keegan looks like he was about to fight the rain for Beau. 

“What’s going on?” Keegan asked, his blue green eyes glancing between Jasper and Beau. 

“The rain triggers bad memories for him,” Jasper explained.

Keegan’s frown deepened, his jaw jumping as he clenched his fists. Keegan had seen enough people taken from ad situations and their reactions to triggers to know how bad they could be.

“What do you need?” Keegan asked, rounding the counter and coming to stand near Jasper.

Jasper had been trying to move Beau towards the sitting room, but Beau wouldn’t move. “To be honest, I don’t know,” Jasper admitted.

“Okay, let’s at least get you two somewhere comfortable.” 

Keegan moved slowly, only touching Beau when he had to as he moved them to the sitting room. The made it to the couch and Jasper eased Beau onto the cushions. Keegan wrapped a blanket around the two of them and went to make some tea. 

“Are you alright?” Jasper whispered, nuzzling Beau’s cheek.

Beau gave a stilted nod and turned his head, burying his face into Jasper’s neck. “Just don’t let me go.”

“Never,” Jasper whispered, kissing Beau’s temple. 

~~~  
Beau stood in the doorway of his house, watching Lua trudge through the mud, unwilling to step outside himself. The rain may have stopped, but Beau had spent enough time laying in mud to stay indoors until the ground tired a little more. Four days of rain had left behind a muddy mess that probably wasn’t going to try anytime soon. 

Despite their attempts, some of Beau’s garden had been swept away, but the house had been spared from damage. Jasper and Keegan had done all they could to help Beau through the rain and the aftermath. It had felt nice to have people who were truly concerned for his safety looking out for him. 

“Well, the carriage survived,” Keegan grunted, clomping up the stairs and leaving a trail of mud behind him. He had a pair of knee high boots that were covered with mud and mud splattered breeches. He stopped at the top of the stairs when he came face to face with Beau and looked down at him. “Are you doing alright?”

Beau nodded, giving Keegan a reassuring smile. “Thank you for your help.”

Keegan clapped Beau on the shoulder and smirked. “You know, you’re not all that bad. But if you hurt Jasper, I will hurt you.”

Beau’s smile widened, “I would expect no less from you.”

Keegan gave a curt nod, shucking his boots and following Beau into the house. Jasper had just gotten out of the shower, his skin gleaming from the hot water as he stood in the kitchen. 

“The windows survived and asides from the mud, the wind didn’t effect the house at all,” Jasper told them, frowning at the mud Keegan was dripping on the floor.

“Good,” Beau said softly, moving closer to Jasper. 

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Jasper’s lips, smirking when Keegan made a gagging noise. Keegan grumbled something about public indecency and tracked another trail of mud back out of the house. 

“Are you feeling better today?” Jasper asked between kisses. 

“Much,” Beau replied, sidling closer to Jasper. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

Jasper hummed, wrapping his arms around Beau’s neck. Beau slid his hands under Jasper’s shirt and brushed his fingers over the water warmed skin. Jasper moaned into Beau’s mouth, pulling him closer. 

As Beau slid his hands back down Jasper’s chest he wondered if Jasper would try to take him to bed now that they new how the other felt. Beau wasn’t willing to just offer himself to Jasper, but if Jasper wanted it, Beau wouldn’t refuse. Jasper would probably be gentle and Beau might even be able to tolerate the feel of the prince moving inside him. Maybe in time Beau would even learn to enjoy sex again. 

“What are you thinking about?” Jasper whispered, nuzzling the spot under Beau’s ear. 

“This,” Beau whispered, giving Jasper his hands when he reached for them. “I’m glad this happened… but,” Beau’s smile fell. “What will happen when you go home.”

Jasper took a step forward and set his hands on Beau’s hips. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you when I left last time. I missed not seeing you even day, too. It till be hard being apart, but I will come see you every chance I get.”

“That’ll be near impossible with the war going on,” Beau reminded, grimacing when Jasper stilled. “My neighbor told me when his goat wandered out of the woods. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to know,” Jasper admitted. “I wanted to keep you as far out of it as possible.”

“Has it been bad?” Beau whispered. 

“The battles ave been bloody, but we’ve been trying to take prisoners instead of killing them. So far we’ve filled two camps with men the Padoleans forced out of their home to fight. We’re giving them as much help as we can and they’ve been giving us information about the Padolean’s strategy.”

“Any talk of the bomb?” Beau asked, his pulse racing at the thought of it.

Jasper shook his head, “Some of our generals would like it if we bombed the country, but my father knows how many innocent men, women, and children would die. He hates knowing how many people are dying now because of President Jeffers’ greed. My father doesn’t want to add to that count if he doesn’t have to.”

“Well, thank the Gods your father feels that way at least,” Beau sighed. “The Padolean government needs to be taken down. It isn’t just our president that’s corrupted.”

Jasper nodded and looked away. “Let’s not talk about that now.” He stepped away from Beau and grabbed a new pair of tall boots. “We’ve got to take care of your garden before we loose more crops. I know you’re not a fan of the mud either, but these boots will help keep you out of it.”

A small smile tugged at Beau’s lips and he reached for the boots. So long as Jasper was there to help him through this fear, Beau would at least give it a try.

~~~  
“You know, now that you and Jasper are doing dirty things in the bedroom, you should probably start getting dirty out here with him. Jasper needs some pointers on how to defend himself,” Keegan grunted as Beau helped him off the ground again.

Beau smirked and glanced at Jasper’s whose head popped up at the comment. He had jelly on his lips from a pastry he had been eating and his eyes were wide. The basket of pastries Emma had brought that morning was in his lap and he had already picked out another pastry to eat. 

“I can defend myself,” Jasper replied defensively. 

Keegan snorted and motioned to his muddy clothes. It had dried up in the last two days and even though there was still mud everywhere, Beau was feeling comfortable enough to spar with Keegan that morning. It also helped knowing that Beau could still easily overpower Keegan. 

“You wouldn’t stand a chance if Beau attacked you,” Keegan told Jasper. 

“Well, then it’s a good thing Beau would rather kiss me than attack me,” Jasper said with a cheeky grin. 

Keegan glanced at Beau and grunted. “Maybe you should have been tougher on him when you first met.”

“Actually,” Beau said, striding over to Jasper. He took the basket out of his lap and pulled Jasper to his feet. “A little combat training wouldn’t kill you. Besides, you told me you skipped half of your trainings anyway. It will help you build some muscle too.”

Jasper gave a small pout and set his hands on his hips. “Did you just call me fat?”

Beau rolled his eyes and leaned forward to steal a jelly flavored kiss. “I said gain muscle not loose weight.”

Jasper grunted, “I’m injure, remember? Doctor says I’m supposed to be resting.”

“What doctor? You stitched you’re own damn leg up,” Keegan called. 

“Traitor,” Jasper shot back. 

“We won’t do anything strenuous,” Beau assured, taking Jasper’s hand and pulling him towards Keegan. 

Jasper didn’t protest and let Beau show him a few moves. After twenty minutes it was blatantly obvious that Jasper really didn’t know anything about real fighting. He knew how to play fight and shoot a gun. In the end it was good Jasper really didn’t know anything, because Jasper could start from scratch and train Jasper the way Beau wanted to train him. He started with upper body training so Jasper didn’t bother his wound and Jasper caught on quickly. After an hour Jasper was sweating and panting heavily. 

“Okay,” Jasper groaned, leaning against Beau. “I’ll admit I’m not as well trained as I thought I was.”

Beau helped Jasper to the steps and sat down, while Keegan wandered around the house to find Lua. Beau handed Jasper a glass of water and took his free hand. He lifted Jasper’s hand to his lips and kissed the palm. 

“You did good,” he said. “I know you have guards to protect you and your brother, but I know they don’t follow you around all the time. Even if there are guards with you someone could overpower them and then you would be defenseless. You really do need to learn how to defend yourself.” 

“You’re right,” Jasper nodded. “I think my brother believed that I would be safe anywhere I went. Keegan and Havela were there with me on the battlefield and I still got hurt.” A small smile formed on Jasper’s lips. “Lucky for me I have you to teach me how to keep myself safe.”

Beau hummed and reached up, cupping Jasper’s face in his hand. The sound of footsteps heading towards them didn’t stop Beau from bringing their lips together. Keegan could make whatever comments he wanted about the two of them. 

Beau’s lips had just met Jasper’s when someone grabbed him by his hair and dragged him roughly backwards. Beau’s back hit the mud, sending his heart into a crazed rhythm.  
“Frederic,” Jasper said, surprise and fear in his voice. 

Beau forced his eyes open and found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Frederic stood over him, his brown eyes cold and his lip curled into a sneer as he looked down at Beau.   
“Frederic, stop, let me explain,” Jasper said quickly. He tried to move towards Beau, but a look from Frederic caused the guards to step froward and restrain Jasper. 

“When that Padolean captain came looking for the Shadow, you lied to him,” Frederic sneered. “You found him on that hill and you saved his life when you should have let him die,”   
Frederic growled, his tone cold. “How could you have been so stupid?”

“It’s not what you think. Beau isn’t a bad person,” Jasper cried. “Please, Frederic.”

“You’ve put the entire country in danger,” Frederic yelled. “This monster will kill us all. He could be waiting for his chance to kill you.”

“I would never hurt your brother,” Beau said.

Frederic didn’t even glance at him as he cocked his gun. 

“Frederic, don’t,” Jasper begged. 

“Put him in chains,” Frederic commanded.

He kept his gun trained on Beau as two guards hurried forward and dragged him to his feet. His wrists and ankles were cuffed and the two soldiers held him tight. Frederic turned to look at him then, taking a step forward before slamming his gun into Beau’s face. 

“Put him in the prisoner carriage,” he spat. Turning back to Jasper he barked, “Where is your carriage?”

“Hidden near the trees,” Kegan replied, striding around the corner. He had a hold of Lua’s collar as she danced nervously at his side. 

Tension grew as Frederic and his soldiers turned to look at Keegan. 

“You were part of this?” Frederic hissed.

“I helped Jasper pull him off the field,” Keegan replied. 

“Arrest him too,” Frederic snarled. “Take my brother to his carriage and take him home. The prisoners will go in the holding cells on the property. The king will be home in a few days, he can pass judgement on them then.”

Keegan released Lua when they went to cuff him and she bounded towards Beau until another guard grabbed her. She whined and tried to pull away, but held her tight.   
“She comes with me,” Jasper instructed as they dragged him towards the other carriage. 

Beau and Keegan were led to a carriage that had bars over the windows and door. The guards chained Keegan and Beau’s hands to the floor and the door was shut and locked s they couldn’t escape.

“You could have stayed hidden and made your way back to the palace. Why did you say something?” Beau asked when the carriage started moving. 

“They knew I was with Jasper, the punishment would have been just as bad if I had shown up at the palace later today.” 

Keegan lifted his had and met Beau’s eyes. Jasper had said Keegan had had heterochromia too, but Beau had never inspected the man’s eyes until now. The outer ring was a dark silver and his irises were an interesting blue grey color with patches of brown in them. It was stunning to see the differences in their eye color and know it was the same thing. 

“Besides, I’ve come to accept that you’re my friend, Beau. I couldn’t let you and Jasper take the fall by yourself. I may be punished for my involvement, but at least I can defend you to the king. You don’t deserve to be punished for what you’ve been through. If the king can give sanctuary to the men who were dragged from their homes and forced to fight for the Padoleans, then he can give you sanctuary too.”

Beau shook his head. “I’ve got too much blood on my hands to be pardoned for my crimes, regardless of weather or not I was forced to do them. You don’t deserve to be punished because of me.”

Keegan leaned forward, his expression serious. “I kept you a secret when I should have told my king about you. I violated the safety of my king and his sons by protecting you. I know now it was the right thing to do, but I still deserve to be punished.”

Beau shook his head and looked back down at his hands. He had spent so much time in chains that he was surprised he had forgotten the weight of them in such a short time.   
“Well, at least we have a few days to mull over our stupidity before the king returns home and passes judgement,” Beau offered blandly.

Keegan grunted and leaned back as far as he could. “Can’t wait.”


	15. Chapter 15

The jail turned out to be a crumbling structure near the training barracks that probably hadn’t been used in years. They were in poor condition and most of the cells had been flooded from the recent rain. The walls of the cells were moldy and crumbling and if the situation had been different, Beau would have had no problem getting through the rusted cell bars. But escaping meant he would never see Jasper again and if the king decided death was his fate; Beau would take those few moments of seeing Jasper again over never seeing him again.

Beau and Keegan had been placed in the farthest cell, the one with the least amount of water and farthest away from the entrance so an attempt at escape could be stopped. Beau smirked at that thought. He might not be willing to escape, but that didn’t mean his mind hadn’t already come up with a plan. 

It was good that Beau was skilled in hand to hand combat as he was with weapons, because he and Keegan had been stripped naked. Beau had been cuffed to short chains on the wall in hopes that it would keep him from using himself as a weapon. Keegan had been chained in similar fashion on the wall opposite Beau, but it was more out of humiliation that fear that Keegan would attack someone.

Guards were stationed throughout the building and there were probably several outside. Now that Frederic had captured the Padolean Shadow, he wasn’t going to let him get away without a fight. 

A tray of food was dropped on the floor outside the cell, spilling most of its contents. A heavy boot kicked the tray across the cell and it flipped over, spilling the rest of the food. It was so common for the guards to destroy their food while slinging hatred words at them that neither Beau nor Kegan looked up.

“How could you?” A man sneered from the other side of the bars. 

Keegan’s head immediately snapped up and Beau turned to look at the man. The man looked to be around Keegan’s age, with dark brown hair and green eyes that were filled with hatred. He was obviously a soldier and he mush have known Keegan well enough to demand answers for Keegan’s betrayal to the Arabendian people. 

“Havela?” Keegan whispered, his eyes wide. 

“How could you?” Havela sneered again, pointing an accusing finger at Beau. “How could you betray your country for him?”

Keegan’s face hardened and he straightened a little. “Don’t make judgements on people you don’t know,” he growled. “Beau isn’t a bad person.”

“He tried to kill our prince,” Havela yelped, drawing the attention of the guards. They watched, but they didn’t do anything to end the conversation. 

“He didn’t have a choice,” Keegan defended. “He is just like all those men the Padoleans dragged out of their homes and forced to fight a war that wasn’t theres.” 

“He has killed hundreds of people, caused the downfall of several countries. How can you defend him?” Havela demanded, gripping the rusted bars in his leather clad hands. 

“You don’t understand, Havela,” Keegan replied softly. 

“I understand enough,” Havela spat. “I trusted you, Jasper trusted you and you let this monster corrupt you and your prince.”

“Beau is not a monster,” Keegan snapped, pausing to his feet. His chains clanked when he reached the end of them an he strained against the cuffs. “Beau is a good man and he doesn’t deserve any of this.”

Beau blinked in surprise, he never would have thought Keegan would go so far in defending him. Havela took a step back, surprised as well. 

“How can you think that? After all he’s done?” Havela asked, his voice cracking slightly. Betrayal filled his green eyes and he looked heartbroken that Keegan wasn’t siding with him. 

“You don’t understand what they’ve done to him,” Keegan said softly. 

“And what could they have done to turn him into the animal he is?” Havela demanded. 

Keegan opened his mouth to reply, but Beau spoke first.

“When I was five my father dragged me down to our cellar and locked me down there with a man who was tied to a chair.” He paused, waiting for Havela or one of the guards to tell him to shut up like they usually did when he tried to speak, but no one said a word. “I wasn’t allowed to eat or sleep until I killed him. Every time I refused, I was beaten. If I fell asleep, I was beaten. If I complained that I was hungry, I was beaten. After five days I couldn’t take the pain anymore and I slit the man’s throat. I was rewarded by my father bringing down another man for me to kill and the process started all over again. When I asked my father about food and sleep, he told me I could have those things when I learned how to properly kill a man. He only fed me when I was too weak to stand and the only sleep I got was when I passed out from exhaustion. Both brought on beatings because I couldn’t control my body’s needs.

“My father kept this up for weeks, until I was killing on command and doing it well enough that the men didn’t even realize I was there until the knife plunged into their necks. If I ever hesitated, or my technique wasn’t correct, my father would lock me in the cellar with the rotting corps for days. After a few months my father dragged me naked through the woods and left me there to find my way home. I had to find my own way home with whatever resources I could come up with. When I finally made it home, my father dragged me off to another forest and left me there. 

“When I was eight I was brought to the president and presented as a trained assassin. To prove myself worthy, twenty prisoners were released into the woods and I was sent out to kill them all. Since then I was expected to kill whoever I was told to kill and if I didn’t, I was beaten, starved, and chained up until I agreed. 

“But all that wasn’t enough for my father, who cared about the money I brought home. When he discovered I had a taste for men, he whored me to anyone who would pay the price for me. I have a terrifying fear of rain because my father would tie me up outside and leave me face down in the mud whenever he felt like it. Is that enough examples for you, or would you like me to go on?”

Silence filled the cell as Keegan and Havela stared at Beau. The other guards wore a sickened look on their face as they kept their eyes on the floor. 

Havela recovered first and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he whispered. 

Beau nodded, glancing between Havela and Keegan. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention any of what I’ve said to Jasper.”

Havela swallowed hard and nodded. He threw a fleeting glance at Keegan and turned to leave. When they were alone again, Keegan settled back onto the floor.

“Beau,” he whispered softly and waited for Beau to look at him. “I won’t say anything to Jasper, but you should. Jasper would understand and he could help you.”

He’s helped a lot already,” Beau sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. The stubble on his cheek caught on his calloused palms, reminding him that he hadn’t washed for a few days now. “Besides, I doubt I’ll get the chance to now.”

Keegan frowned, but before he could say anything more, heavy footfalls echoed in the wet hall. Frederic and evil guards came into view and the sight of the prince made his heart stutter in his chest. 

The guards crowded at the door and flooded in when the cell was opened. Only two moved towards Keegan while the rest surrounded Beau. They grabbed him roughly by his hair and pulled him to his feet. Beau was released from one set of chains and put in another. No one bothered to offer them cover as Beau and Keegan were dragged naked out of the cell. 

Apparently the king had come home early. 

Servants hurried out of the way as Beau and Keegan were dragged into the house. They gathered quietly together once they passed to whisper to each other. The kings office was heavily guarded, but the parted when Frederic stepped up to them. He fling the doors open and Beau and Keegan were flung into the room.They were forced to their knees and an glance at Keegan told Beau he should keep his head down. 

“Frederic, what in the world has been going on? Why is Jasper locked in his room and why are these men in chains?” the king demanded in a calm tone. 

“Jasper and his guard have been aiding the Padolean shadow,” Frederic told the king tensely. 

There was a moment of silence and then the king hummed softly. “And how did you find this out?”

“I was aiding the nearby village after the storm and decided to offer help to Jasper since he was injured,” Frederic explained. “When I found them, that animal had a hold on Jasper, forcing his tongue into Jasper’s mouth.”

“I believe they call that kissing, Frederic,” the king replied, with a hint of amusement. “I should expect them to considering how close they’ve gotten in the last few months.”

Beau drew in a sharp breath as Frederic sputtered for words. 

“You knew and you didn’t say anything?” Frederic demanded.

The king stepped closer to his son. “I didn’t tell you because I knew this was how you were going to act and the Shadow needed to heal. And speaking of haling, if I recall, you told me you had lost your sword during the battle, not that you left it embedded in the Shadow’s shoulder.”

Frederic sputtered again and Beau felt his heart racing. The king had known all this time and he hadn’t done anything?

“Father, he’s dangerous,” Frederic finally managed to get out. 

“I know how dangerous he is,” the king sighed. “I forget how much of the world you don’t understand and what I must teach you. For now you are dismissed, I would like to talk to these men alone.”

“But-”

“It will be fine Frederic,” the king replied softly. 

Frederic tried to protest again, but the king managed to shoo him out of the room. The click of the door closing felt like a death sentence for Beau. The king had known he was hear and had done nothing. Was he hoping that Jasper’s influence on Beau would sway Beau to help Arabenda in the war? While several more questions formed in his mind, a heavy blanket was draped across his back. Keegan had one too and the king held his hand out for Keegan. 

“Stand up, Keegan,” the king commanded gently when Keegan didn’t take his hand. 

Beau watched Keegan rise and was surprised when a moment later the chains binding him were dropped to the floor. 

“You have been though enough for the last few days,” the king said softly. “Go get yourself cleaned up. There will be no punishment for any of this.”

“But, how did you know?” Keegan whispered. 

“I have my ways,” the king replied, a smile eminent in his voice. “Go get yourself cleaned up and when you’ve finished, could you please go get Jasper and bring him to me?”  
“Yes, you Majesty,” Keegan replied dazed. 

The door opened and closed and Beau found himself alone with the Arabendian king. Seconds later the kings slippered feet appeared in front of Jasper and the king knelt down. “That young man has finally warmed up to you,” the king chuckled. When Beau didn’t reply, gentle fingers slid under his chin and lifted his head. The king’s smile was soft and genuine when their eyes met. “It is nice to finally meet you in person. Why don’t you take a seat so we can get those chains off you.”

Beau allowed the king to help him up and took a seat in the chair offered. He held out his hands so the king could unlock the cuffs and watched them all to the floor. The king dragged another chair over and took a seat in front of Beau. 

“I am sorry that Frederic put you through all that. You were settling in well when he discovered you.”

“Why didn’t you say something if you knew?” Beau asked. He needed to know why the king wouldn’t have had him arrested immediately. 

The king’s smile grew and he tilted his head. “I knew about you the moment Jasper pulled you off the field. The one good thing about the automatons and the carriages is that no matter how much you try to tamper with their memory or recording systems, I still know what’s going on. Think of it as a way to keep an eye on my sons without smothering them. Not that they are getting themselves into trouble often. Taking you in is the most extreme thing Jasper has ever done.”

“Weren’t you mad?” Beau pressed.

“I was a little upset when I first found out, but after watching you interact with Jasper, I realized I didn’t have anything to fear. It also helped knowing what the Padoleans did to you. Your president loves to brag about how they brought you to heel. Seeing you chained to the wall just cemented the knowledge that you were just as shackled to you president’s wars as every other soldier that was forced to fight. Seeing Jasper feed you that night and the reaction from the Padoleans told me that you were merely there for show. Did they punish you for that?”

“I’ve been punished for so many things I can’t remember what the reason’s were, but yes, I was whipped for letting Jasper feed me. The president wanted me to remember who I was loyal to.”

The king nodded solemnly. “He offered you to me that night. Your body as a gift for the peace between us. I turned him down because I am not that kind of man, but I have a feeling you weren’t spared from that either.”

“I wasn’t,” Beau replied, feeling queasy. 

The king frowned, his eyes never leaving Beau. “How is your shoulder?” 

Beau’s hand went to the shoulder in question and he rubbed the scarred skin. “It’s doing well.”

“Good,” the king’s smile returned. “Jasper is a good surgeon and a good doctor, he was trained by his uncle when he was younger and he took to medicine very quickly. I know you’ve been training too.”

“I needed my strength back,” Beau explained. “I wasn’t going to hurt anyone.”

“It never crossed my mind that you would. Considering you’re relationship with my son, I doubt the thought of betraying him was ever a fleeting thought on your mind.”  
Beau looked away from the king. “If you want me t stop seeing him, I will.”

“Now why would I want such a thing?” the king chuckled. He leaned forward, drawing Beau’s eyes back to him. “I know you have feelings for my son and it’s obvious he shares those feelings. I would never tell either of you that you could not be together.”

“But I tried to kill Frederic,” Beau argued. “I tried to destroy your family and your country.”

“I am well aware of the things you have tried to do and I am grateful that you didn’t. I know you were doing what you had to to survive and I won’t ever hold that against you.”  
Beau shook his head, baffled by the king. “You have more patience and understanding than any man I have ever met.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I was upset when I first learned that Jasper was keeping you hidden from me. Though Athen could easily have apprehended you if you tried to hurt Jasper; I had believed that my son trusted me enough that he could come to me with this secret. There was also the possibility that you could have awoken and slaughtered my son ad anyone else you cam in contact with. I did keep a close eye on you those first few days, but when I saw how gentle you were with Jasper, my fears were lifted. There was no longer a need to fulfill your orders now that you were free of your country’s grasp. 

“I knew how Frederic would react if he found out you were here so I kept you a secret as well. I has assumed that once you moved into your home you would keep your presence discrete. I hadn’t anticipated Jasper’s emotional attachment to you to grow so quickly.”

Beau smiled, “I hadn’t anticipated that my emotional attachment would grow so quickly either. Thank you for putting so much trust in me, your majesty.”

“Daelin, please, I believe we are past formalities.”

Beau nodded and mirrored the king’s smile. 

The doors to the office suddenly burst in and the man who had shot Beau that day on the battlefield strode in, his gun pointed at Beau. 

“I should have put a bullet in your head just to make sure the devil couldn’t resurrect his monster,” the man growled in a thick accent. 

Beau stood quickly, putting himself between the man and the king. He did not want Daelin to die because of an enraged assassin.

“How dare you draw a gun here,” Daelin said, his voice sharp. 

The guards were already swarming into the room, bu they hesitated when the assassin waved the gun around. “You let that animal into your home and cared for him. After all the people he’s killed you welcome him into your house like a guest. You are all corrupted.”

“I will not have you speak to me like that,” Daelin replied. “Put the gun down or you will face punishment.”

“He slaughtered my entire family and you welcome him like he is an old friend.”

“I’m sorry about your family,” Beau replied, taking a step forward. He knew the man would keep the gun trained on him and he needed t move away from the king. “I was just doing what I was ordered to do.”

“Don’t lie,” the man hissed. “You loved to kill, I saw it in your eyes one the battlefield. You take pleasure in snapping out lives. You are a sinful demon and you must die.”

“Travar, stop,” Frederic’s voice boomed through the room. “He strode in, stopping next to the assassin and glaring angrily between Beau and the king. “If anyone is going to take the life of this mongrel it will be me.”

“That is enough,” the king snapped. “Frederic, get control of your man or I will have you both confined to the barracks. No one is to harm the Shadow and anyone that tries will be discharged from the army and punished. Do I make myself clear.”

The command was directed to every soldier in the room and they all murmured their understanding. Frederic and the assassin didn’t look happy, but they agreed too. The king commanded that all weapons be removed from Travar’s possession and he gave the assassin a strict warning not to approach Beau again. Though Travar agreed, Beau was pretty sure he would be seeing the man again. 

Gentle fingers touched Beau’s shoulder and he looked over at the king. “Are you alright?”

“I’m more worried about you,” Beau replied softly.

Daelin smiled and motioned to the chair Beau had been sitting in. “You jumped up to protect me, thank you.”

“After all you’ve done, I couldn’t let you die because of my past sins.”

“You are a good man. I just hope that we can keep the Padoleans from finding out you’re alive and trying to take you back.”

Beau frowned. He hadn’t thought about that. Henry had said much the same thing and Beau wondered if Frederic finding could possible cause word to reach his people.

“I will have the servants ready a room for you in the palace. I’m afraid I can’t let you return home. I don’t think it would be safe now that people know who you are.”

“Thank you, but if it’s alright, I would rather stay with Jasper,” Beau whispered. 

The king’s smile grew and he nodded. “So long as Jasper is alright with it.

As if on cue Jasper burst through the door, shoved past his father and fell to his knees in front of Beau. “Saints, Beau, are you alright?” Jasper asked, panting. 

“I’m fine,” Beau whispered, taking Jasper’s hands when they reached for them. 

“I’m so sorry, I should have protected you better,” Jasper breathed, his hazel eyes spilling with tears. 

Beau quieted him with a kiss and slid his fingers through Jasper’s brown hair. “I’m okay and I’m with you,” Beau replied softly. 

Jasper hiccuped and pressed his face to Beau’s cheek. The king watched them quietly, a soft, knowing smile on his face. After a moment fo silence, Daelin stepped closer and kneeled next to them. He touched his son’s cheek, waiting until Jasper looked at him. “I thought you promised me you weren’t going to do something so drastic?”

“I didn’t plan on this happening,” Jasper replied defensively. “You’ve known haven’t you?”

“Of course I have,” Daelin chuckled. “I know everything. But we can talk about that later, right now your priority is Beau.”

Jasper nodded and stood, pulling Beau up with him. Beau clutch the blanket in one hand and held Jasper’s with the other as he followed Jasper to his room. Before they were out of earshot, the king asked a guard to find Frederic and Beau could only imagine how that conversation would go. 

Servants, guards, and automatons paused their daily routines to stare at Beau as he passed. Obviously word had traveled fast, but hopefully not too fast. 

Beau kept his focus on Jasper, thanking the gods that he had the chance to see the prince again. 

As they approached Jasper’s room, Beau remembered that the king hadn’t asked his son if it was alright for Beau to stay with him. He hesitated when Jasper reached for the door, stopping him just before Jasper could reach he handle. 

“What’s wrong?” Jasper asked, turning a worried look towards Beau. 

“Your father was supposed to ask you something and I need to know the answer before we go any further.”

“Alright,” Jasper replied, turning to face Beau. “Ask away.”

Beau drew in a deep breath, wrinkling his nose at his own smell. How Jasper could be so close they were touching and stand the smell was beyond Beau. Shaking his head, Beau met Jasper’s eyes. “Your father offered me a room of my own in the palace. I told him that I would rather stay with you. He seemed alright with it, but he said you would have to agree too. He didn’t ask when we were in his office, so I’m asking now. Can I stay in your room with you?”

Jasper let out a long, slow, relieved breath. “I would love it if you stayed with me, Beau. But, as someone who has lived with someone before, I would recommend getting your own room, too. Sometimes people need their space and I don’t want you to feel like you have to be around me all the time because you’re staying in my room.”

“Okay,” Beau replied, feeling relief he didn’t know he was hoping for. Though he was still in the palace, he had the freedom to stay in his own space if he wanted. 

They entered the bedroom and Beau paused to breath in the sweet scent of flowers wafting in though the open bedroom doors. He saw Lua laying on the steps to the garden and before he could take a step towards her, Jasper shooed him into the bathroom, stating Beau could reunite with her after he was clean. 

Once Beau was alone, he left the blanket hanging on a hook by the door and padded across the bathroom. The tiles were cool on his feet and when he turned on the water, he gave a soft moan when the spray hit his hand. It may have only been a day, but Beau had suffered enough to appreciate a simple shower after being locked up. 

He took him time washing, letting his body and mind was away the last few days. Once he was relaxed, Beau let his mind turn to Jasper. He was in a relationship with the Arabendian Price, gods what his father would say about that. Beau laughed at the realization that his father thought he was dead and would never know about him and Jasper. 

Beau may have spent the last month living on his own, but he was elated to have Jasper near him again. He had missed the prince and now there was so much he could learn from him. 

~~~

Jasper waited outside the bathroom door, his hands itching to touch Beau again. He had been horrified that the next time he saw Beau would be at his death sentence, but his father had surprised him by pardoning the Padolean Shadow. Now all Jasper wanted to do was wrap Beau up in his arms and make sure he was alright. Beau had spent most of his life in chains and one night in the jail had probably brought back memories Beau didn’t want to remember. 

When the bathroom door swung open, Beau startled at the sight of Jasper waiting for him and he quickly relaxed when there was no immediate threat. A small smile pulled at his lips and he stepped forward, sliding one hand over Jasper’s hips, while holding the towel around his waist with the other.

“Hi,” Jasper whispered, a smiled tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

Beau’s smirk actually has a hint of mischief in it as he spun them around and pressed Jasper’s back to the closed bathroom door. Beau moved his hand into Jasper’s hair when he stepped into Jasper’s space and he covered Jasper’s mouth with his own. 

“Hi,” Beau breathed against Jasper’s lips, sending a tingle up Jasper’s spine.

Jasper liked that Beau felt comfortable enough that he could take charge. He hummed against Beau’s lips and let his hands settle on the water warmed skin. He pushed further, flicking his tongue over Beau’s lips, immediately drawing back when Beau hesitated. Beau drew him back into the kiss and with a little coaxing, Jasper convinced Beau to open his mouth. 

He slipped his tongue inside, teasing Beau’s tongue until Beau was mimicking the motions. Beau sighed as the kiss deepened, pressing himself against Beau’s body. Beneath his fingers Jasper felt Beau release the towel and it fell to the ground with a soft thud. Beau’s other hand curled around Jasper’s neck and suddenly Beau was pressing his full weight against Jasper. He slipped himself between Jasper’s legs, letting their bodies rub together.

“Beau,” Jasper whispered, unsure of what was happening. 

Beau hushed him with another kiss, shifting again. Jasper felt Beau’s hand slide between his legs and he shoved Beau away. 

“Beau, no,” Jasper cried, grabbing Beau’s arms when he reached for him again. 

“It’s okay,” Beau assured, even though his body had gone rigid and his eyes dull. “I want you to have me.”

“No, Beau,” Jasper replied, sadly. He pushed Beau back further. “This isn’t what you want and I don’t want it either.”

A look of hurt flashed through Beau’s eyes. “You don’t want me?” he whispered.

Jasper shook his head and pulled Beau toward the bed. Of course Beau would think sex was expected of him, it had been for so long. Jasper grabbed a pair of undergarments and handed them to Beau. 

“Put these on and come lay down with me. We have a few things we need to talk about.”

Beau dressed slowly while Jasper pulled down the covers and crawled into bed. Beau followed after him seconds later, settling on his side facing Jasper. Jasper tossed a blanket over them and scooted forward so he could wrap Beau up in his arms. 

“I never want you to think that I don’t want you,” Japer breathed, running a hand through Jasper’s damp hair. “I want you in every way I can possibly have you. But you have been used and abused for so long that you’re falling back on what’s expected of you and not what you want. I don’t want you to force yourself to have sex with me because that’s that what you think is expected of you. I want you to have sex with me because you truly want to.”

Beau looked away almost shamefully. “I don’t know if I can even do that anymore, Jasper.”

“You will,” Jasper soothed,” and until that time comes we’re going to take things slow. I want you to learn what your body wants again and I want you to start taking control of what we do. I don’t want to be the one making all the moves because then I don’t know what it is you want.”

“And what about you?” Beau asked. “You have needs too.”

Jasper gave Beau a self-conscious smile. “You’re fulfilling those needs with what we’re doing now. It takes me a long time to feel sexual attraction to someone and I was never one to just jump into sex after meeting someone. We’ve known each other for a few months now, but this relationship is very knew and we’ve kind of had a rocky start considering my brother arrested you and tried to have you killed. Even if that all didn’t happen I still wouldn’t take you to bed. I just need time to build a relationship with you before my body starts thinking about sex, if it does at all.”

“So even if this relationship became stronger, you still might not want to have sex with me?” Beau asked in confusion. 

Jasper shrugged, “Normally I don’t feel sexual attraction in a relationship that feels tense. It’s almost as if I’m forcing myself to be with someone even though I don’t want to. You were definitely someone I wanted to be in a relationship with. I felt an attraction to you I’ve honestly never felt before.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” Jasper chuckled. “Emotions are weird things. What I do know is that I want a stronger relationship with you and I don’t want to build it on sex. I am happy with that we’re doing and maybe at some point down the road the sexual attraction will become part of it.”

“And what if you never feel it?” Beau countered. “What if I want to have sex and you don’t? Then I’ll be the one forcing you.”

Jasper sighed softly and gave Beau a gentle kiss. Most men Jasper had been with couldn’t understand why Jasper wasn’t jumping into bed with them the second they were alone together, or listen to his explanation. They always thought there was something wrong with him and that they could fix him. Beau on the other hand was trying to understand and was even worried about how this would affect their relationship later on.

“Just because I don’t want to have sex doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy pleasuring you.”

Beau shook his head. “I don’t really understand all this.”

“That’s okay,” Jasper replied. “It’s something new for you and you’re at least trying, it’s more than I can say for the other men I’ve had in this position. For now let’s focus on building our relationship and see how things progress. There are no expectations on how fast we need to go.”

Beau hummed softly and his body fully relaxed. “I like that idea.”

“Good,” Jasper replied, pulling Beau in for a kiss. Though beau was relaxed, something still didn’t seem right to him and when Jasper pulled back he could see the question in Beau’s eyes. “What else?” Jasper pressed. 

“I don’t really know if this is my place yo say this,” Beau muttered, “but aren’t you worried about what will happen to your country when Frederic becomes king? He’s so short tempered and no one seemed to care.”

Jasper laughed softly, “After all these years everyone still thinks it’s the eldest. No one is worried because Frederic wasn’t chosen by the council to be king, Beau. I was.”

“You…” Beau stuttered, his face morphing into a look of horror. “No. You’re going to be the next Arabendian King?”

“Yes,” Jasper replied, startling when Beau shot out of bed. “Beau, what’s wrong?”

Beau’s back hit the wall on the opposite side of the room, his breathing heavy. He kept shaking his head as he stared at Jasper. “Do you have any idea what that means? I was supposed to kill the future Arabendian king. I was supposed to kill you…”


End file.
